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Graeme MacDonald may not have lasted very long on Masterchef's second season ??? he was knocked out in the first week, as they thinned the herd from 50 to 24 contestants ??? but his love for cooking was set in stone long before his brief appearance on television.
The prominent Brisbane doctor has been cooking for family and colleagues for years but now he's testing his culinary skills on a new audience: potential home buyers.
Mr MacDonald and his cardiologist wife Louise Carey have placed their spectacular Queenslander at 20 Ford Street, Clayfield, on the market and he's offering baked snacks to potential buyers who come to the open homes to sweeten the deal.
Not that the property needs further incentive ??? the couple's house is a gorgeous 1900s colonial home with street appeal and character in spades. Having undergone huge renovations during their 20-year tenure, it now stands as a stunning and sprawling family home set on 810 square metres in a lovely Clayfield street.
What was originally the old cottage now serves as the entire top floor of the house, which includes the palatial master suite, ensuite, walk-in-robe and study.
The middle level makes up the main living area with the rest of the bedrooms, and the lower floor is devoted to a private cinema and a sandstone wine cellar. "There's a lot of stonework in the house, a lot of sandstone," Ms Carey said. "That's probably quite different from your usual renovation."
Ms Carey was tasked with helping to design most of the renovation and was sure to include enough space in the kitchen for Mr MacDonald to live out his dreams of being a Masterchef.
"It just had to be big. It's got a great induction stove top, it's got industrial extractors," Mr MacDonald said. "[We've also] got a big library in the entertainment area that's filled cooking books."
Ms Carey said her husband had a wishlist a mile long. "He has lots of gadgets and he really loves that indoor barbeque."
The oversized farm house bench in the middle of the kitchen serves not only as a food prep area but as a place for the family to gather around for meals and socialising.
"I've done lots of dinners for the families there, I've cooked dinners for my wife's practice; multi course dinners," he said.
Ms Carey looked back on the banquets fondly. "We have done big dinners for 30 to 40 people there and Graeme's had a go at being a chef," she said. "I've been the sous chef, so have the kids. Everyone gets press ganged into the role," she said, laughing.
20 Ford Street, Clayfield, is being marketed by Judi O'Dea from Space Property Agents Paddington and will go to auction on site at 10am on June 3.
