39 Gertrude Street Highgate Hill, QLD 4101

The morning starts with the city in view. Sun finds the north-facing hillside, breezes move through the house, and there's a choice to make: coffee on the terrace, a quiet moment on the upper deck, or a little longer in bed watching Brisbane wake up.

Quintessentially Shaun Lockyer, this is a house you feel as much as see. On a 438sqm corner parcel, the design works with the elevation and the elements, drawing light through skylights and opening rooms to the outdoors. Travertine, blackbutt timber and marble bring warmth and texture, while the original 3.2-metre pressed-metal ceilings keep a piece of the past overhead. There's sun when you want it, shade when you need it, and sweeping outlooks across the city, hillsides and lights of The Gabba.

By afternoon, family life finds its way outside. Something is underway in the Miele kitchen, friends settle on the terrace, and the kids move between the lawn and pool, always within view. The boundaries between cooking, conversation and play feel easy. With grounds that ask little of your weekend, there's more time to enjoy what's here.

And when everyone wants their own space, the house has an answer. Music in the sunken room. A book in the library study. A drink from the lounge's wet bar, or a moment upstairs with the breeze and the view. Places to come together, and places to close the door.

Five bedrooms leave room for family life to change. The primary suite wakes to city views, with skylights bringing natural light into the walk-in robe and marble ensuite. In a private wing, the second bedroom gives teenagers a little independence: a day bed, desk, built-in robe and ensuite, with space for homework, friends and time alone.

Beyond home, the river and city become part of your routine. Walk to South Bank for coffee by the water or an evening at QPAC, head into West End for dinner, or continue across the Goodwill Bridge towards the Botanic Gardens and CBD. Walking or cycling to UQ and QUT over the pedestrian bridges is easy, and city commutes and hospital shifts at the Mater and PA are close to home. With Somerville House and St Laurence's College virtually on your doorstep and Brisbane State High School within easy reach, school days fit naturally into this connected lifestyle.

On its hillside corner, the house holds a quiet balance: open to the landscape, private enough to retreat, and ready for all the ways a family grows.