Inspiring poems of its own: Mollymook home by the sea on the market

With a history dating back to 1854, and a name inspired by novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson and his island home of Samoa, Vailima is a home that fills your daydreams.

It’s one where you have to do a double-take to know that it’s truly presenting itself in front of your eyes and is legitimately up for the taking.

This cottage of a bygone era is still inspiring poems of its own. It’s a backdrop for creative thought; a canvas from which to create art of any kind or to simply escape life’s monotony in a stunning setting by the beach.

The cottage will have you completely captivated well before you set foot through the front door. Sitting in 2000 square metres of lush, mature gardens, the house’s whitewashed weatherboards peer through the shady trees at the front.

It’s already clear this home has received a thoughtful renovation that’s pleasing to the eye (and the soul).

At the back, the wraparound verandah offers views of the surf and is an idyllic place in which to paint, read, write or indulge in the finest drops of wine.

French doors and timber sash windows make it an even dreamier setting to be in.

The entertaining deck with its gallery walk-through and surrounding garden spaces – including fruit trees, vegetable patches, lawn and even a native beehive – stand at the ready to play host to the most elegant of Gatsby-style al fresco parties.

The word vailima means “water from the hand” and, with Mollymook Beach only a short stroll away, it’s a fitting moniker for the property.

The gourmet kitchen is visually respectful of the home’s past while providing all the modern appliances a family could need. High ceilings, limewashed Cypress pine flooring and a heart-warming slow-combustion fireplace retain character elements of the original cottage.

While this seaside abode is an escape from the everyday, there are still plenty of guest rooms for the rest of the family when you decide to let them join you for a visit.

Mollymook

View property

Price guide: Circa $5 million

Private sale

Agent: Raine & Horne Mollymook/Milton, Ben Pryde 0410 324 209