Sometimes dreams do come true, and they certainly did for Theo Skaltsas when he moved back to Adelaide after living on the Gold Coast.

Wanting to be close to his family, Theo searched for homes near where he grew up and found exactly what he was looking for at 24 Jellicoe Avenue, Kings Park.

“I actually first saw the house about seven years ago when I was living in Adelaide and I thought ‘You know what? I think I am going to buy this house one day’,” Theo says.

The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home had solid bones, but its original, character features had been removed. So, Theo made it his goal to restore the property to its former glory.

“I think that all these beautiful, old homes need to be restored to last another 100 years,” Theo says. “I am very passionate when it comes to this stuff.”

Theo began by bringing in professionals; designers and architects who specialise in high-end homes and who would know what needed to be done to bring back the home’s character charm.

“I didn’t want to cut any corners, so when people told me what they recommended as to what should be in this home, I made sure that was what we did,” Theo says.

“I had a lot of aspects, such as the architectural plasterwork, made just to suit this home.”

The hallway arch was redone, and a second was added to establish an immediate sense of grandeur to the property.

Rosettes and decorative cornices were crafted and placed where they would once have stood, and all the fireplaces were redone in monumental fashion.

Out the front, Theo brought in a group of tilers to redo the tessellated tiles on the front veranda. The group spent six weeks painstakingly removing, cleaning and replacing the original tiles.

“A lot of the time, people put down new tiles, which is a great option, but having the original tiles restored and used adds another level of warmth to the property,” Theo says.

Landscaping the garden was another challenging project, with Theo wanting the garden to be sympathetic to the property, but also planned in a way that any future developments wouldn’t require the garden to be redone.

“Something I had always wanted to do is bring an old villa back to life, and I was able to do that with this home,” Theo says.

Running the stone wholesaler Adelaide Slate & Stone and performing as a professional clarinet player means Theo’s days are endlessly busy, and being able to come home and relax is something he always looks forward to.

On the weekends, however, the house is bustling with energy as Theo invites his family and friends over to enjoy the home by his side.

“When you have family and friends over you use each room and everybody loves to stay over,” Theo says.

Entertaining is effortless with the outdoor pizza and wine room perfect for hosting friends for drinks and nibbles while the kids play in the pool and ride their bikes along the paths.

The veranda overlooks the in-ground swimming pool, as well as the gazebo where Theo enjoys his morning coffees and lunches on weekends.

Even with all the beautiful outdoor spaces, Theo believes the most splendid room is the formal living room where sunlight floods through stained-glass windows that overlook the garden.

Feeling his work at 24 Jellicoe Avenue is complete now it has been restored to its former self, Theo is chasing a new opportunity and believes this home is finally ready for a new owner to come and enjoy.

The sale is being handled by Peter McMillan and Glenn McMillan of TOOP+TOOP.