NRL star Reuben Cotter and his wife Mackenzie have built their dream family home in Townsville, North Queensland, naming it Bisque for its soft pink Mediterranean aesthetic that blends with the tropical climate.
A Family Home Built with Love
North Queensland Cowboys co-captain Reuben Cotter and his wife Mackenzie, who met as students and have been together for 11 years, designed their family home specifically for their three young children: Sunny, now four, Banks at two, and one-year-old Pippi.
After an exhaustive search for the perfect family home, the couple pivoted their plan when they found an ideal plot of land close to the city and stadium. “We had lived in an apartment together nearby, and it was nice to come back here,” Mackenzie explained.
The home’s blush interior, chosen by Mackenzie, softens Queensland’s harsh tropical sunshine. “It’s not a big white house,” she said. “But it still has a really neutral colour palette with lots of creams and pops of pink throughout.”
One of the most meaningful aspects of construction was Mackenzie working alongside her father, David Falco of Country Timbers & Kitchens, who built most of the joinery including kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. “It feels like I’m really connected to him because he was such an important part of it,” she said.
Design Dreams and Practical Challenges
Mackenzie’s dream kitchen features a hero marble island that nearly became a nightmare. The first two slabs cracked during installation due to the island’s size. “Every time they came to lay down the marble, it would crack,” she explained. “They ended up making it a smidgen thicker, so that when they laid it down, it was strong enough.”
The couple chose natural stone, custom cabinetry, and quality materials designed to withstand family life. “There isn’t anything we regret spending more on,” Mackenzie said.
Despite initial resistance from local trades unfamiliar with modern finishes, the couple pushed forward with their vision. “I don’t care if Townsville doesn’t do it, we want to do it, so let’s make it work,” Mackenzie recalled thinking.
The dining area showcases Mackenzie’s dad’s craftsmanship alongside bespoke tiles from Willow Tile Co and leather dining chairs from Ellison Studios. “It’s my dream kitchen and probably my favourite part of the house,” she said.
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Materials and Trades
The dining table was crafted by Mackenzie’s father, surrounded by leather ‘Arch’ chairs from Ellison Studios. Near the archway, custom tiles from Willow Tile Co create a striking contrast against the walls and floors, which were finished with Cemher Claystone and Microcement by House of Balmy.
“The marble was chosen as a statement piece; I then tied it in with the pink lighting,” says Mackenzie of the dusty pink accents. Pax the family’s Spoodle approves of the palette, which suits him to perfection.
“It’s so open and there’s plenty of natural light; it almost feels like I’m outside. And it’s nice to be able to cook dinner while the kids are outside and see exactly what’s going on.”
Budget and Vision
After purchasing the land, the couple carefully considered their ideal home and ruled out a prefabricated design. ‘I wanted to create something tailored to us,’ Mackenzie explains. ‘We visited local designer Salvatore Parenti with a rough sketch, and he developed the full plans for us.’
The dream was to have a bedroom for each of the children, plus a guest bedroom for visiting family members, but some of the details needed finessing. “Obviously, there were lots of changes along the way,” shares Mackenzie. What didn’t shift was her vision for the home’s interiors. “I really wanted it to be a Mediterranean-style house, but I also needed it to fit into North Queensland,” she says.
With two young children at the time and another on the way, Mackenzie enjoyed the creativity of the design process. “It was such a fun project for me, and it kept me really busy. When we moved in, I had already had the third baby – she was about five weeks old when we moved into the house.”
Mackenzie loves the house, but says if there was one thing she could switch, it would be the exterior floor tiles. “I’d probably change my tiles outside if I could, but it’s too difficult now,” she says. “When they get wet or if the kids spill water or anything, they’re slippery. But it is what it is – they look beautiful.”
Being a family home, the couple wanted to invest for the long-term, yet of course the budget wasn’t unlimited and at times they had to get creative. Additional fees to transport certain materials and furniture to Townsville exceeded some of the price predictions, as did various design tweaks. “Like many builds, there were unexpected costs throughout the process, particularly as we chose to invest in higher-end finishes and made design changes along the way,” says Mackenzie. “While those decisions increased the overall cost, there isn’t anything we regret spending more on.” The features they’re happiest they invested in are the natural stone, custom cabinetry, pool and quality materials that will stand the test of time.
