Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Heritage Home That's Anything but Ordinary
This former monastery, the second-oldest property in Ashgrove, Queensland, gets a new lease of life as a family home
It’s rare for today’s design briefs to include former maid’s quarters. Rarer still are renovations that encompass an old dairy. And it’s almost unheard of to upgrade antiquated meat-drying rooms. But when you own the heritage estate of Glenlyon – the second-oldest property in Ashgrove, Brisbane, built in 1877 – these unlikely features are as integral to a renovation as the more standard rooms of twenty-first century architecture. When Virginia and Otto Buttula bought the rambling property in 2014, this doyenne of Victorian architecture showed every year of her advanced age. To restore her former glory and redesign the home with an eye to the future, the Buttulas engaged Louise Walsh Interior Design & Decoration, whom they had worked with on over four previous properties.
Glenlyon was built by Alexander Stewart, a merchant and a Scotsman far from home, who named the estate after his far-flung birthplace. After Stewart’s death, the sprawling grounds were sub-divided and sold off, while the house and its immediate surrounds became home to a Marist Fathers monastery.
“During the time Glenlyon was owned by the Marist Fathers, the original grand rooms of the home were divided up into smaller dormitory-style rooms,” says Louise Walsh.
“Later, a private owner attempted to reinstate them; however, with no bathrooms on the first floor bedroom wing, this was very impractical for modern-day living. The house sadly needed a lot of work. There was chipping paint, broken balustrades, damaged floorboards and internal spaces that looked as though they’d been patched together.”
“Later, a private owner attempted to reinstate them; however, with no bathrooms on the first floor bedroom wing, this was very impractical for modern-day living. The house sadly needed a lot of work. There was chipping paint, broken balustrades, damaged floorboards and internal spaces that looked as though they’d been patched together.”
Glenlyon consists of four wings over two levels, which look onto a central courtyard on the southern side of the property. On the ground level, the front of the house was reconfigured to include a study, living room, formal dining space and a piano room.
And on the first floor, Walsh and the team reorganised the bedroom wing from four smaller bedrooms and no bathrooms, to include three generously-sized bedrooms, two ensuites and two walk-in-robes.
Planning for the renovation commenced in mid-2014, work began on-site in early 2015, and the final stages (the dairy, pool house and parts of the main house) were finished in 2017. Due to the state of disrepair and the sheer size of Glenlyon, the overhaul was extensive. In the western wing on the ground floor, Walsh transformed the original meat-drying room into the family meals area seen here.
New cabinetry met the owners’ needs for more storage and, as a bespoke detail that pays homage to the home’s history, the new metal-framed doors bear the Glenlyon crest in their custom-designed iron handles.
But the Buttulas did not only want to restore Glenlyon’s golden days, they craved a design with a contemporary attitude that looked to the future.
“Our client brief was to have fun,” says Walsh. “No Victorian furniture or antiques were to be used and the clients wanted us to make it a twenty-first century home that suited a young family and reflected their travels and daily way of life.”
But the Buttulas did not only want to restore Glenlyon’s golden days, they craved a design with a contemporary attitude that looked to the future.
“Our client brief was to have fun,” says Walsh. “No Victorian furniture or antiques were to be used and the clients wanted us to make it a twenty-first century home that suited a young family and reflected their travels and daily way of life.”
Step into the front wing of the ground floor and the colour palette takes a dramatic turn. It’s a classic example of how Walsh used colour to delineate the public areas of the house – such as this formal dining room – from the more private, family-oriented spaces.
Dining table: custom-designed by Louise Walsh Interior Design and Decoration; Christopher Boots ‘Prometheus’ pendant light: Inlite
Dining table: custom-designed by Louise Walsh Interior Design and Decoration; Christopher Boots ‘Prometheus’ pendant light: Inlite
The piano room, which flows on from the formal dining area, smoulders with lashings of moody blues, bejewelled emeralds, rich chocolate browns and glossy blacks that pepper the interior.
B&B Italia ‘Papilio’ occasional chairs: Space Furniture; cushions and throws: custom-designed by Louise Walsh Interior Design and Decoration
B&B Italia ‘Papilio’ occasional chairs: Space Furniture; cushions and throws: custom-designed by Louise Walsh Interior Design and Decoration
“I did this in response to the clients’ request for us to create formality and drama in the more formal rooms,” says Walsh.
“The sheer scale of the architecture and decorative mouldings, which we kept in a fresh white, enabled us to apply the dramatic Dulux Grid colour to the walls, which we were commended for in the 2016 Dulux Colour Awards.”
Walsh restored and patched the original timber floors and plaster mouldings, including the ceiling roses, cornices and skirting boards, which hark back to the home’s former glory.
Bell coffee tables: Anibou
“The sheer scale of the architecture and decorative mouldings, which we kept in a fresh white, enabled us to apply the dramatic Dulux Grid colour to the walls, which we were commended for in the 2016 Dulux Colour Awards.”
Walsh restored and patched the original timber floors and plaster mouldings, including the ceiling roses, cornices and skirting boards, which hark back to the home’s former glory.
Bell coffee tables: Anibou
At first glance, you’re met with an old world, serious air. But look closer and you’ll discover contemporary, playful and quirky touches that inject a sense of humour into the space. Despite first impressions, this is a home that does not take itself too seriously.
Jeeves table lamp: EEC Lighting and Furniture.
Jeeves table lamp: EEC Lighting and Furniture.
“We were able to push the design envelope and develop concepts that far exceeded a ‘normal’ renovation project,” says Walsh. “There is nothing ordinary about this property.”
Maxalto Febo chairs: Space Furniture; sofa: custom-designed by Louise Walsh Interior Design and Decoration
Maxalto Febo chairs: Space Furniture; sofa: custom-designed by Louise Walsh Interior Design and Decoration
The sense of drama doesn’t stop on the ground floor. In the upstairs bedrooms, Walsh selected and designed the statement furniture and finishes to echo the dramatic palette on the lower floor.
Not a single surface missed out on receiving a touch of texture. Rich velvets abound in the private sleeping quarters, upholstered furniture is finished with tufting and buttons, the intricately layered joinery adds a level of depth, and the walls are dressed up with a palette of wallpapers.
Not a single surface missed out on receiving a touch of texture. Rich velvets abound in the private sleeping quarters, upholstered furniture is finished with tufting and buttons, the intricately layered joinery adds a level of depth, and the walls are dressed up with a palette of wallpapers.
“Works had to be fastidiously executed to preserve the original hero features and character of the building,” says Walsh.
“We had to be very delicate with this Brisbane treasure and, to the clients’ credit, they did not scrimp on putting money back into the restoration and detailing of the property.”
“We had to be very delicate with this Brisbane treasure and, to the clients’ credit, they did not scrimp on putting money back into the restoration and detailing of the property.”
Introducing plumbing to the first floor proved the biggest challenge. Walsh overcame this obstacle through careful planning with heritage architects, hydraulic engineers and builders.
To avoid damaging the original first-floor floorboards or the ornate ceilings below, Walsh designed stone plinths that conceal the plumbing and complement the home’s historical features.
To avoid damaging the original first-floor floorboards or the ornate ceilings below, Walsh designed stone plinths that conceal the plumbing and complement the home’s historical features.
Every alteration had to comply with heritage restrictions, but despite the extra effort this involved, Walsh says that redesigning and restoring Glenlyon “became a love job” for everyone involved.
“The master builders and specialist trades were exceptional to work with and their attention to detail was impeccable,” says Walsh.
“The master builders and specialist trades were exceptional to work with and their attention to detail was impeccable,” says Walsh.
“The history of this property and the beauty of her old bones meant the design team developed a great passion for restoring her,” says Walsh.
The renovations extended beyond the footprint of the home’s main building to encompass the former guns room, which is located to the west of the house.
The renovations extended beyond the footprint of the home’s main building to encompass the former guns room, which is located to the west of the house.
“This was renovated in 2016 by the current owners,” says Walsh, who transformed the space into a billiards room. It is here that both Walsh and the Buttulas really fulfilled the brief to “have fun”, by injecting some cheeky design details that make you look twice.
At first, the personality of this home may appear serious, the face stately. But in some rooms the design raises an eyebrow in jest, all while paying homage to Glenlyon’s grand Victorian heritage.
“As the client says, ‘she is now a great old dame’,” says Walsh. “We feel that she has now returned to a wonderful family home and we are thrilled with the outcome.”
Tell us
What do you love about this heritage home? Tell us in the comments, save your favourite images and like or share this story.
More
Want to read more stories about Victorian-era renovations? Take a look at this Houzz Tour: The Brady Bunch Makes a Victorian Terrace Their Own
“As the client says, ‘she is now a great old dame’,” says Walsh. “We feel that she has now returned to a wonderful family home and we are thrilled with the outcome.”
Tell us
What do you love about this heritage home? Tell us in the comments, save your favourite images and like or share this story.
More
Want to read more stories about Victorian-era renovations? Take a look at this Houzz Tour: The Brady Bunch Makes a Victorian Terrace Their Own
Who lives here: Virginia and Otto Buttula, their two daughters Jacqui and Margaux, and their three Rhodesian ridgebacks, Zeus, Luna and Gus
Location: Ashgrove, Brisbane
Size: 500-square-metre main building on a 8,300 square-metre site
Budget: $2 to $3.5 million
Interior design: Louise Walsh Interior Design & Decoration
Architecture: Paul Curran, Push
Landscape: Phillippe Antelme Landscaping
Building and project management: Greg Gardiner, Gardiner Bros