Inside the $12m mansion inspired by an eight-year-old’s scrapbook

At the heart of every little girl’s hopeful aspirations is a belief that they can be anything they want and that dreams do come true.

For eight-year-old Lorelai Williams, those dreams centred around marrying her Prince Charming and one day owning her own castle-like estate.

So invested was she in her dreams, that she created a scrapbook to plan out her future home – a six-bedroom, six-bathroom mansion that featured a cinema with stadium seating, an arts and crafts room, a music room with an in-built bar, a panelled library, a gym, and of course a secret room hidden behind a bookcase.

SIGN UP NOW FOR OUR FREE REAL ESTATE NEWSLETTER

Fast forward a few decades and Lorelai has not only found the man of dreams in businessman Gary, but managed to turn her childhood property dream into bricks and mortar.

488-500 Yatala Vale Road, Yatala Vale has been listed with price hopes of around $12m.

---

The sprawling six-bedroom home took close to two decades to complete and now doubles as a wedding venue.

---

A grand entrance hall, and equally grand spiralling staircase, effortlessly divides the property into separate wings.

---

A large open-plan living, dining and kitchen area sits in the heart of the home.

---

Located just 17km from the city in the Adelaide foothills, Yatahlia Manor took around 14 years to complete, with the couple’s home now estimated to be worth around $12m.

“The story of Yatahlia really is a romantic one…and starts with a little eight-year-old girl telling her mum ‘when I get married, my name is going to be Williams’,” Gary says.

“And then, as she was growing up, she designed this house. She had no experience at all when it came to building houses but she did have a great, big scrapbook.

“When she was just about to turn 18, she had completed this house design in her mind … and walked into my music shop, many years later, obviously, as a music teacher looking for a job.

“We started a relationship sometime later and next thing, she married her prince, built her castle and lived happily ever after.”

Gary and Lorelai Williams say the home has been a dream come true.

---

A model of Yatahlia Manor Lorelai Williams created for her husband prior to her dream home’s construction.

---

An impressive home office oozes old-world charm.

---

Four privately sectioned bedroom suites on the upper level – all with ensuites – collectively reinforce the luxurious nature and sophistication of Yatahlia.

---

The couple’s happily ever after included turning their home into a sought-after wedding venue, with bookings currently in place until December 2025.

However, hosting future brides and grooms will soon become someone else’s job with the couple looking to hand over the keys to Yatahlia Manor to a cashed-up buyer.

The 2.9ha Yatala Vale estate has been listed for sale with Giordano and Partners who have already fielded interest from a number of buyers.

“When I turned 70, I turned to (Lorelai) and said: ‘What do you reckon? Is it time (to sell)?’,” Gary says.

“She says ‘I’m ready for a new adventure and I’m ready to travel the world with you’, so now we’re looking to move from this amazing home into a caravan, which will be a complete lifestyle change and we have both grieved over it.

“But as we get older, we’re ready for a change…but we want to find someone who will love (the home) as much as we do.

“That said, it will have to be a (year-long) settlement as my wife is anal about the fact that we’ve guaranteed all these brides that they won’t have to worry about their special day, so even if it means we’ll sell at a loss, we won’t leave until at least the end of next year.”