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He would never buy a place if he couldn't have his music room," says Geri of her late husband Fraser. "That was his passion. He was a party boy and loved karaoke." The popular Scottish-born entrepreneur and former pro soccer player died in April, aged 53, after contracting cancer. Sadly, this $2.3 million luxury apartment at Perth's Old Swan Brewery was the couple's first real home after their marriage in 2001.
"Fraser loved the space," says Geri, of the 400- metre suite in the waterfront, heritage-listed building. "But it was the music room that sold us on this place." Now, mother-of-two Geri, lives in the apartment with daughter Carla, 21, who moved in when Fraser fell ill. And she remembers the extraordinary lengths her husband went to, to create his dream karaoke den.
"The room was a master bedroom," says Geri. "We ripped out the en suite bathroom to make way for a commercial projector, like movie theatres have, so Fraser could play his discs on a two-metre high screen. We had to get a special crane to lift the screen up and over the balcony. It was a huge job."
Sound proofing was a task, too. With five-metre ceilings supported by original jarrah trusses, professional sound engineers were needed. "The floor is now 100 millimetres thicker because of insulation plus we lost 150 millimetres off the walls," says Geri. "But the next door neighbour now says they can't hear a thing!" and what would a karaoke room be without a bar? The couple installed a stunning six-metre-long stainless steel, stone and leather-top bar plus three thermostat-controlled, commercial fridges. But the style of the room wasn't always so cut and dry. "Fraser loved the jarrah beams and wanted to make it into an old English pub style but I said, 'No way you can't do that'," laughs Geri.
The rest of the apartment follows the same elegant feel which Geri calls, "minimalist but homely". Her favourite place to relax is the open-plan living and dining area. "There's always something happening," says Geri, who watches dolphins swim by most mornings. "People moor boats for lunch in the restaurant downstairs and wedding parties get their photo taken on the jetty. It's pretty special. When the sun sets, it's so beautiful."
The stunning views can also be seen from Geri's compact kitchen. Here, Perth interior designer and architect Bruce Arnold reworked some of the original features, including a light brown marble bench top. "I didn't think it was in keeping with the rest of the apartment," says Geri.
"Bruce suggested putting turpentine veneer over the top and stainless steel at the end." Living Interiors in Melbourne was another source of inspiration. "We got there and spent a fortune, over $100,000. We got everything and it came from Italy."
Geri plans to live in the apartment for at least another year before deciding what to do. In the meantime, she is determined to master the hi-tech entertainment system her husband left behind.
I'm just learning how to use it," she says. 'I've got some girlfriends coming over and once I've conquered it, we will definitely be getting into it," she smiles.
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