Iconic tile magnate Frank Walker is selling his “magnificent” Toorak mansion with $23m-$25m price expectations.
Known for his famous “Hello, Frank Walker from National Tiles” radio ads, he and wife Rhonda purchased their pad at 50 Clendon Rd about a decade ago, with Walker describing the home’s Italian-imported Carrara marble floor tiles as “the best of the best”.
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The couple’s daughter Amy Spargo, who founded Maine House Interiors, worked on restoring the house, designed by noted architect Nicholas Day 33 years ago.
“She’s done an incredible job and just brought it right into the 21st century. Everything is brand new,” Walker said.
“I’m heading towards 70 now and I’m no longer in need of such a grand and wonderful home.”
“We purposely didn’t overdo the tiles, though we could have,” Mr Walker said.
Set on 1350sq m of manicured gardens, the property has hosted up to 120 guests for birthday celebrations and features a tennis court, pool and pavilion, lift and conservatory with classic black and white chequered floors.
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Forbes Global Properties director Mike Gibson said the house, on the corner of Grant Ave, “gets wonderful light … in a triple-A location”.
“Position wise, it doesn’t really get a lot better,” Mr Gibson added.
He said Clendon Rd, St Georges Rd and Albany Rd were among Toorak’s top spots for real estate.
Mr Gibson was the listing agent on a six-bedroom Toorak mansion snapped up by cricket champion Ricky Ponting and his wife Rianna for more than $20m in March, and other multimillion-dollar houses that sold earlier this year.
“The top end of the market is as strong as I’ve seen it,” Mr Gibson said.
Along with Rhonda, Mr Walker founded the Family Peace Foundation charity to help reduce and prevent family violence.
Mr Walker said he was planning on moving to a “relatively modest” apartment close to Melbourne.
Expressions of interest close at 5pm on April 26.
National Tiles began as a “little tile shop in 1979 in Geelong West” and has grown into the nation’s largest family-owned tile company with more than 30 stores across Victoria, NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania, which turned over $150m in 2021.
His iconic greeting has even made it to dance music crowds in Germany, with Australian duo Mashd N Kutcher dropping it into a set in 2018.
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Originally published as National Tiles’ founder Frank Walker selling ‘magnificent’ Toorak mansion with ‘best of the best’ tiles
