Star-studded, Mexican-themed villa hits the market in unlikely Melbourne suburb

Diamond Creek is not a suburb where most buyers would expect to find a Mexican-inspired ‘casa grande’ that has featured in TV shows and hip hop music videos, but that’s precisely what has come to market in the leafy area north-east of Melbourne.

Vendors Col Dunston and his partner Michelle Green built the home in 2010, inspired by their trips to places like Mexico, Santa Fe in the United States, and even Bali.

The couple spent three years completing the build, changing features of the design as they found unique doors and other design features on their overseas jaunts.

“We wanted a place where we felt like we were on holidays all the time,” Mr Dunston said. “We spent a week in Bali just on a shopping trip and bought all sorts of things – tiles to light fittings, doors to daybeds, anything we could fit in a shipping container.” 

With four children, the couple have used the home as a base for their family and their photographic business, which they closed two years ago as they planned for retirement.

The couple had purpose-built a separate office and studio as part of the home, allowing them to run their business but still have privacy.

The unique home, which has an outdoor area with a thatched roof reminiscent of those in Mexico, also features a pool, large bedrooms and a large kitchen.

It was this space which Mr Dunston said made it perfect for hiring to production companies for TV shows, ads, music videos and advertising photo shoots. My Kitchen Rules was filmed in the home, after the kitchen was spotted by a friend of the couple who worked on the show.

Since then it has also been used in an episode of How to Stay Married, starring Peter Helliar and Lisa McCune, and in a music video for Melbourne hip hop/drill stars Hp Boyz’ song Rumours.

“They had full drug paraphernalia and M16s and really used it as a fortress [for the video]. But they were very respectful and a good bunch of guys,” Mr Dunston said.

The house had earned the owners some good money over the past few years, he added.

The couple are now planning to downsize to a home which they are renovating, also in Diamond Creek, which they had been renting out.

“We don’t want to move out of Diamond Creek,” Mr Dunston said. “It’s just such a great place … almost like a small country town.”

Ray White Eltham director and auctioneer Peter Don said the home had already garnered a lot of interest from buyers, including interstate.

“We’ve had people from Sydney get in touch, with some wanting to run a dance studio there,” Mr Don said. “It’s really perfect for a person like Col, who can have family and guests over, use it as a party home [and] set up a business from home.”

The five-bedroom home at 72 Old Diamond Creek Road, Diamond Creek, has been listed with an asking price of between $2.5 million and $2.75 million. The home is currently listed for sale privately, with the owners deciding whether to take it to auction, Mr Don said.