Inside the home of Sasa Sestic, founder of Ona Coffee

If home is where the heart is – there is certainly a strong beating heart in the home of Ona Coffee and Project Origin Founder, Sasa Sestic.

We are greeted at the door by his exuberant family and delightful dog, and immediately feel embraced by a feeling of warmth and welcome.

Naturally we are treated to a Sasa-made coffee speciality, an absolute treat from a world-champion barista. Next it’s a tour of his home where it quickly becomes apparent that Sasa and his wife Betty’s philosophy when it comes to the design and style of a home, is all about what encourages the family to connect.

“For me, the design of a home should help create great experiences and memories,” said Sasa. “So for example, we love having friends and family over for dinner and that’s why we wanted to have a big kitchen and dining area that comes out onto the outdoor entertaining area, so that we can all be together while we cook and talk and relax.”

Of course, designing a house from scratch gives you the unique advantage of being able to include everything you want from the start. Especially when it’s in the location you’ve always wished for.

“When blocks of land came up in this area of Weston, we drove around for a while but didn’t see anything we liked. And then we got to this spot and looked up to see the Arboretum and Telstra Tower and we thought, ‘oh we want this, we have to live here.’”

The actual design process took quite a bit of time as Sasa and Betty changed things along the way, but the journey was well worth it.

“We knew we wanted to have a pool, that was really important,” said Sasa. “We wanted it to have a resort feel so that we can immediately relax and have fun when we’re out here. And we use it a lot.”

Another absolute must-have for Sasa was a dedicated coffee kitchen.

“I always create a lot of mess when I make coffee and I need a lot of space,” he explained. “So to keep the peace in our family I have my own space where I can close the doors and no one can see it.”

For a man that spends the majority of his time overseas working with hundreds of coffee farmers and producers for Project Origin, Sasa really wanted his home to be a sanctuary from his chaotic life. The key to this was designing the upstairs balcony that commands sweeping views of the Arboretum and Telstra Tower – the main feature that compelled them to buy the block in the first place.

“The balcony is an escape for me – and it’s a really special place where Betty and I finish up the day,” he said. “We’ll take up a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and just enjoy the views and forget about everyday problems. It’s like my meditation.”