Sydney’s iconic wedding cake house is for sale for $9m

Seaforth’s famous wedding cake home has hit the market for the first time since it was built in the 1980s, with a price guide of $9 million.

The iconic waterfront home is recognisable, whether you drive across the Spit Bridge or are cruising along Middle Harbour, thanks to its classic European architecture.

But not much has been known about the owners of the home until now. The 1100-square-metre parcel of land was purchased by painter-builder Nikolaous Dimitriadis and his dressmaker wife Kiriaky sight unseen on the day of the auction in 1979 for $93,000.

Nikolaous went on to knock down and rebuild a five-bedroom, three-bathroom house designed by architect Robert Blackmore, creating a solid home with a vantage point from every room.

The original-condition home also has two entertaining balconies with classic colonnades and arches, drawing on the Dimitriadis family’s heritage.

While the pair hailed from Greece (Nikolaous from Athens and Kiriaky from Lipsi, a small island of the Dodecanese group), they travelled separately to Australia and met in a small milk bar on Lyons Road in Drummoyne.

Nikolaous went on to build many properties of a similar ilk, while Kiriaky at one point worked for department store Mark Foys, designing dresses.

Although Nikolaous passed only three years later, he was survived by his wife and children, who lived at the grand home that housed countless parties and memories for decades afterwards.

Whoever takes the keys next has the option to add a pool and a pontoon, which has a pending development application, that might draw the interest of any boating enthusiasts.

It is selling through Brad Pillinger of Pillinger and is scheduled to go to auction on 10 September.

Property trades

In Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Wall Street banker Dragi Ristevski and his Channel 9 journalist wife, Vicky Jardim, have sold their Woollahra home in excess of their $14 million price guide, local sources say.

The pair, who are upsizing in the area, found a buyer in less than a month after they first listed the four-bedroom, three-bathroom house. They had owned it since 2019 when they purchased it for $6.345 million.

With Hecker Guthrie interiors and Dangar Barin Smith gardens, the mid-century home has state-of-the art inclusions and is close to local schools and Queen Street and Double Bay villages.

The home sold through Ben Collier of The Agency, who declined to comment when contacted.

Ristevski, a former Macquarie Capital head of financial sponsors, was poached earlier this year by JPMorgan to co-head general industrials and as head of financial sponsors for Australia and New Zealand.

Prestige property heats up

In nearby Bellevue Hill, senior real estate executive Matthew Banks and his wife, Melissa, have listed their multi-level BKH Architects-designed house with $25 million price expectations.

With sweeping views of the harbour, the six-bedroom, five-bathroom home has a guest suite with separate entry, a home office and swimming pool.

The couple purchased the home in 2001 for $2.37 million. Matthew has more than three decades of experience in the industry, spanning commercial, retail and residential. He oversaw global real estate funds and investment at Macquarie Group and was chief executive at Lendlease’s real estate investment business.

Their home is selling through Ben Collier of The Agency, who declined to comment.

Bellevue Hill’s market is warming up with another prestige property listed, this time the home of Brendan O’Dea, chief investment officer at Washington H. Soul Pattinson, and his wife, Tracey, which has a $14 million price guide.

The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house spans three levels, featuring a home office, gym, and swimming pool with city skyline views from the top of the house.

The O’Deas purchased the home, under Tracey’s name, for $3.4 million in 2012.

Prior to his current role, Brendan was the managing director of Milton Corporation (before it merged with Soul Patts) and was managing director of Citigroup’s Investment Bank.

Their home is selling through Ashley Bierman of Ray White Double Bay, who declined to comment. It is scheduled for an 11 September auction.

Billionaire swaps neighbourhoods

Last week’s column had Beau Neilson, the daughter and heiress of billionaire arts patron Judith Neilson and fund manager Kerr Neilson, listing her Chippendale abode for a cool $19 million.

Turns out it’s because the 38-year-old has already swapped it for a sandstone waterfront in Double Bay for $20 million, in cash no less.

The Vanguard owner purchased the grand five-bedroom, four-bathroom house known as the Gladswood Estate earlier this year.

Changing hands for the first time in almost four decades, the blue-ribbon home is only moments from Double Bay village.

It is quite the change of scenery from her MCK Architects-designed warehouse home The Pigeon Shed, which is on the market.