After opening her landmark home to short-term guests, micro-weddings and photo shoots, Newcastle businesswoman Jeanne Walls is putting Merewether House 1910 back on the market.
And she hopes a family will be the new custodians.
"I adore it, but it's ready for a family again," Ms Walls said.
"It is a beautiful, big home but when you only have a couple of people there versus a family, it just really needs little kids running down the hallway and enjoying it.
"It is too big for us now, so we are downsizing and looking for something smaller."
Walkom Real Estate listing agent Kate Rundle is marketing the four-bedroom home for sale.
Sitting on 640 square metres, the house on Merewether's Glebe Road is well-known for its signature glass conservatory and turret roof.
Built in 1910, it has hosted local dignitaries over its 116-year history and was reportedly once home to former Newcastle mayor John Christian Reid.
In 2020, the house escaped demolition after it was listed with DA approval to knock it down and build seven dwellings on the original 1242-square-metre block.
Recognising its heritage value, Nero Group executive directors Joe Berriman, a carpenter by trade, and Glenn Carroll, a real estate agent, bought the property and embarked on an extensive restoration.
The project combined the home's Federation-era features with modern luxury updates.
Original architectural details include 10-foot ornate ceilings, leadlight glass windows, and the glassed conservatory turret.
Ms Walls bought the property in 2021 for $2.25 million, viewing herself as its custodian rather than the owner.
She has since opened the home up for micro-weddings, events and photo shoots.
"The house has been on Airbnb for a year, which has gone really well, and it has also given other people the opportunity to enjoy it," she said.
"From what I have experienced with the home - from the very first wedding that we did or my dad's 99th birthday party - is that it brings so much joy and happiness to people.
"It is iconic and it is a house that makes you want to share it with others because it is so beautiful."
One of her favourite spaces is the whisky room which features the original built-in liquor cabinet and cast-iron fireplace.
The room features custom Hare & Klein rugs and Catherine Martin Designs curtains and velvet furnishings.
The single-level floor plan has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living areas and a study.
The main bedroom connects to an outdoor plunge pool via French doors and includes a sky-lit sitting area and a walk-in wardrobe.
The oversized ensuite has Italian tiles, a double vanity and a wet room with a standalone bath.
Other features include a Carrara marble-topped luxury kitchen that flows into the formal conservatory-style dining turret which takes in 180-degree views of Merewether, Bar Beach, and the city.
According to Ms Walls, the home's signature turret was added by a previous owner, Kate Sanderson.
"When she put that turret on in about 2000, it changed the whole look of the house," she said.
"Now, people have had the opportunity to come inside and sit in that turret.
"One of the reviewers on Airbnb said he had lived in Newcastle before and had always driven past this house and been in awe of how beautiful it was, so to then stay at this house was nothing short of incredible."
According to Cotality, the median house value in Merewether is $2.04 million.
