Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Old Boarding House Welcomes a Family Home
A higgledy-piggledy old Victorian gets a new lease on life as a bright and cheery abode for five
Once a grand home built around 1900, by the time a Perth family stumbled across it, the two-storey house badly needed restoring to its former glory. It had endured a long and chequered history, serving for many years as a boarding house. Edward “Weary” Dunlop was one of the tenants known to have lived there as a medical student. He was an Australian surgeon renowned for his heroism while spending time as a prisoner of war during World War II. About 40 years ago, the boarding house was converted in haphazard fashion into three apartments, all of which had undergone various DIY renovations as owners and tenants came and went. The result was an eclectic jumble of rooms and add-ons, all decorated in different styles.
The new owners could see the home had great bones, however, and hired architect Rebecca Naughtin to transform it back into the fabulous family home they knew it could be. “Our clients were keen to retain the unique character and feel of the house and make maximum use of its position, natural light and views over Fitzroy Town Hall,” says Naughtin.
The renovation involved opening up smaller rooms to create social areas and refurbishing three bathrooms.
“The interior plays with a mix of recycled materials, sustainable yet passive design, and a lot of green tile, which was found by our clients by the container load for a very economical price,” Naughtin explains. “Our clients’ awareness of the environmental impact was always at the forefront of decision-making.“
Naughtin had her work cut out for her, given the home’s history. “This was not an easy project – the house had been renovated repeatedly over the years and the legacy meant no wall was straight and no two doors the same size.“
Working with clients who have a sense of humour and great taste always makes life easier for architects, and this was certainly true for this project. The home is the perfect combination of old and new the clients were hoping for and has drawn admiration from just about everyone who comes through the door.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An eco-minded couple, with their daughter (13) and twin sons (11)
Location: Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria
Size: Four bedrooms, a study, formal lounge, living area opening onto an outdoor deck, and a kitchen and dining area
The new owners could see the home had great bones, however, and hired architect Rebecca Naughtin to transform it back into the fabulous family home they knew it could be. “Our clients were keen to retain the unique character and feel of the house and make maximum use of its position, natural light and views over Fitzroy Town Hall,” says Naughtin.
The renovation involved opening up smaller rooms to create social areas and refurbishing three bathrooms.
“The interior plays with a mix of recycled materials, sustainable yet passive design, and a lot of green tile, which was found by our clients by the container load for a very economical price,” Naughtin explains. “Our clients’ awareness of the environmental impact was always at the forefront of decision-making.“
Naughtin had her work cut out for her, given the home’s history. “This was not an easy project – the house had been renovated repeatedly over the years and the legacy meant no wall was straight and no two doors the same size.“
Working with clients who have a sense of humour and great taste always makes life easier for architects, and this was certainly true for this project. The home is the perfect combination of old and new the clients were hoping for and has drawn admiration from just about everyone who comes through the door.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: An eco-minded couple, with their daughter (13) and twin sons (11)
Location: Fitzroy, Melbourne, Victoria
Size: Four bedrooms, a study, formal lounge, living area opening onto an outdoor deck, and a kitchen and dining area
AFTER
“The interior of the house was a complete refurb, however due to council restrictions we could not alter the exterior without a lot of time and effort so very little was done,” Naughtin says. The house is renowned in the area for the graffiti on the side wall, which changes as often as the seasons. Sprucing up the facade with paint transformed it from looking like a neglected rental into a well-cared-for family home.
“The interior of the house was a complete refurb, however due to council restrictions we could not alter the exterior without a lot of time and effort so very little was done,” Naughtin says. The house is renowned in the area for the graffiti on the side wall, which changes as often as the seasons. Sprucing up the facade with paint transformed it from looking like a neglected rental into a well-cared-for family home.
BEFORE
Inside, the house was also sorely in need of a makeover.
Inside, the house was also sorely in need of a makeover.
“The original house was nothing less than odd,” Naughtin says. “It’s hard to know how much of the original home we preserved as the house had been renovated so many times in the past.”
AFTER
Naughtin and her clients referenced 1950s design magazines for cabinetry, including the suspended cupboards in the kitchen – a real winner given the relatively small size for storage.
The clients were concerned about preservation and how hardwearing the materials would be. “We opted for stainless-steel benchtops in the kitchen, complemented by plywood cabinet fronts and laminate feature panels for overhead cupboards,” explains Naughtin.
Other joinery items were found in second-hand and bric-a-brac stores.
Naughtin and her clients referenced 1950s design magazines for cabinetry, including the suspended cupboards in the kitchen – a real winner given the relatively small size for storage.
The clients were concerned about preservation and how hardwearing the materials would be. “We opted for stainless-steel benchtops in the kitchen, complemented by plywood cabinet fronts and laminate feature panels for overhead cupboards,” explains Naughtin.
Other joinery items were found in second-hand and bric-a-brac stores.
BEFORE
Naughtin found that the upstairs bathroom at the rear of the property had been built on what was previously a veranda and that the property to the east had once been the stables – it had a doorway into the residence that had been patched up long ago.
“Our clients liked the idea of retaining smaller rooms for privacy rather than the large open areas so we retained most of the double brick walls, which we knew were original, and made openings between rooms that could be closed off with double doors and sliders if privacy was needed,” says Naughtin.
Naughtin found that the upstairs bathroom at the rear of the property had been built on what was previously a veranda and that the property to the east had once been the stables – it had a doorway into the residence that had been patched up long ago.
“Our clients liked the idea of retaining smaller rooms for privacy rather than the large open areas so we retained most of the double brick walls, which we knew were original, and made openings between rooms that could be closed off with double doors and sliders if privacy was needed,” says Naughtin.
AFTER
The green tile, titled ‘Mrs Barber’, came at a bargain price and is used throughout the house. Apart from the financial saving, Naughtin says the tile ties the house together successfully, creating a visual flow.
The green tile, titled ‘Mrs Barber’, came at a bargain price and is used throughout the house. Apart from the financial saving, Naughtin says the tile ties the house together successfully, creating a visual flow.
BEFORE
The home’s dated bathrooms were crying out for an overhaul.
The home’s dated bathrooms were crying out for an overhaul.
AFTER
“Green is my client’s favourite colour,” Naughtin explains. The tile was used in Sydney’s railway stations 30 years ago, which is why the leftover tiles came at a bargain price. The clients first spotted the tiles in some public toilets in the Dandenong Ranges.
“Our clients instantly fell for the tile and went on a mission to source them for the house,” Naughtin says. “As the tile had not been through the rigorous testing required to meet Australian building standards, we had to go through our own testing to ensure the tile would not prove a slip hazard.”
“Green is my client’s favourite colour,” Naughtin explains. The tile was used in Sydney’s railway stations 30 years ago, which is why the leftover tiles came at a bargain price. The clients first spotted the tiles in some public toilets in the Dandenong Ranges.
“Our clients instantly fell for the tile and went on a mission to source them for the house,” Naughtin says. “As the tile had not been through the rigorous testing required to meet Australian building standards, we had to go through our own testing to ensure the tile would not prove a slip hazard.”
BEFORE
The rear of the pre-renovated house looked as tired as the front.
The rear of the pre-renovated house looked as tired as the front.
AFTER
Now, the home has a welcoming back garden just right for relaxing in the sun. “The house is quite large considering the density of the area and includes a generous landscaped area,” Naughtin says.
Now, the home has a welcoming back garden just right for relaxing in the sun. “The house is quite large considering the density of the area and includes a generous landscaped area,” Naughtin says.
BEFORE
With the house having been split into three apartments, each tenant had their own style. “Some rooms were pink and orange, others small and dark with dark wood panels, and others needed waterproofing to save the plasterboard,” Naughtin recalls.
With the house having been split into three apartments, each tenant had their own style. “Some rooms were pink and orange, others small and dark with dark wood panels, and others needed waterproofing to save the plasterboard,” Naughtin recalls.
AFTER
One of the challenges of the renovation was figuring out how best to open small rooms into each other to take advantage of the light. The architect used a combination of steel and timber lintels to create archways.
One of the challenges of the renovation was figuring out how best to open small rooms into each other to take advantage of the light. The architect used a combination of steel and timber lintels to create archways.
The inspiration for the new colour and material palette came from the clients’ desire for the retro ‘found object.’ Retaining the existing Victorian features, including polished boards and feature architraves, created a starting point from which to work. “Whilst visiting our clients through the schematic design stage we realised that eclectic modern worked and could complement the existing shell,” says Naughtin.
“Our clients have a great sense of humour and a focus on environmental sustainability that means the whole family travels by bike,” Naughtin says. “The family tends to escape the city life for weekend trips to rummage through bric-a-brac and have found terrific pieces to complement the house.”
Naughtin says the clients’ great taste in art and furniture worked together as a whole.
A generous stairwell and entrance lead to the main living space that features a freestanding fireplace with an artist-designed garden as the backdrop.
Large windows and bi-fold doors maximise the light and air flowing into the house.
The clients are more than pleased with their “understated but spectacular” new home, and they haven’t had a visitor who hasn’t been amazed by the house and renovation.
The clients are more than pleased with their “understated but spectacular” new home, and they haven’t had a visitor who hasn’t been amazed by the house and renovation.
The new owners saw past the home’s tired facade when they bought it and loved its location. Fitzroy is renowned for its eclectic mix of housing – Victorian, modern and contemporary styles happily coexist with varying degrees of density – and the area is known for its vibrancy and restaurants on Brunswick Street.