Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Renovated Victorian Terrace With Lofty Appeal
A heritage-listed home blends old with new and opens up to the views
Situated in Melbourne’s trendy suburb of Fitzroy is a renovated Victorian terrace for two. Architect Ed Ewers helped owners Mark Powell and Tim Curtis create a home better suited to 21st-century living in their heritage-listed house. While the terrace’s original facade and two front bedrooms were left intact to fit in with the neighbouring homes, an extension at the back has given the property the luxe lift it needed. Working with a budget of AU$440,000, Ewers has made the most of this 171-square-metre home in all the right ways.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark Powell and Tim Curtis
Location: North Fitzroy, Victoria
Size: 171 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Builder: Garry Dickson of D & A Dickson Builders
Architect: Ed Ewers Acrhitecture
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Mark Powell and Tim Curtis
Location: North Fitzroy, Victoria
Size: 171 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Builder: Garry Dickson of D & A Dickson Builders
Architect: Ed Ewers Acrhitecture
Powell and Curtis knew they wanted to live in Fitzroy, and were not worried by the idea of a major renovation. When they found their future home, they opted to remove all rooms beyond the second bedroom and open the house up to the light with an unobstructed floor plan, and greater fluidity for a more modern look and feel.
Fitzroy suits this couple to a tee. Powell and Curtis say they like the diversity of age groups and personalities in the area, and that there’s a mix of young families and professionals, and a ‘hipster’ crowd buying and renovating properties. They also enjoy the cafes, parks, and village vibe of the area.
Borghese sofa: Natuzzi; floor lamp: Hearts and Minds Art; Sierra rug: Armadillo; Carl chair: Curious Grace
Borghese sofa: Natuzzi; floor lamp: Hearts and Minds Art; Sierra rug: Armadillo; Carl chair: Curious Grace
Powell, who works as a town planner, was aware of Ewers from their interactions at the office and had been introduced to the architect’s work on small heritage properties. Their plan was to blend the indoor spaces with the outdoor living area by opening up the room towards the back of the house, installing full-width and fully operable French doors, and adding a deck to transition to the backyard.
“To achieve a sense of width we went boundary to boundary, where possible, and used a cleverly tiered design at the back of the property to maximise width at ground level, and to meet council requirements,” says Powell.
The design, documenting and permitting phase took about six months, and the build took about the same, with Powell and Curtis taking on the final touches including interior design and landscaping, “I loved flicking though Houzz for inspiration,” says Powell. Powell and Curtis made the conscious decision to sell everything and start over in their new home, with new furnishings selected to fit the personality and style of the new space.
“To achieve a sense of width we went boundary to boundary, where possible, and used a cleverly tiered design at the back of the property to maximise width at ground level, and to meet council requirements,” says Powell.
The design, documenting and permitting phase took about six months, and the build took about the same, with Powell and Curtis taking on the final touches including interior design and landscaping, “I loved flicking though Houzz for inspiration,” says Powell. Powell and Curtis made the conscious decision to sell everything and start over in their new home, with new furnishings selected to fit the personality and style of the new space.
The two front bedrooms were left intact for heritage requirements and because they were in reasonable condition. At the moment, they are being used as storage spaces, but the couple has plans to make them into guest bedrooms.
The long, exposed-brick wall backdrop in the hallway is used to display a gallery of fun family and holiday photographs.
The long, exposed-brick wall backdrop in the hallway is used to display a gallery of fun family and holiday photographs.
The bathroom at the end of the hallway has a contemporary aesthetic, clearly defining the transition between the original home and the new addition that follows on from this space.
Flooring tiles: Beaumont Tiles
Flooring tiles: Beaumont Tiles
Hanging planters: Muscrats Vintage & Handcrafted
Through to the rear of the house, the modern extension is the most utilised space – the living area, where they spend most of their time relaxing and entertaining, is bright and spacious. “Opening up the cafe doors on a nice summer day is just amazing,” says Curtis.
They were concerned the concrete floor would feel cold, but after discussing the option with Ewers early on in the design phase, they overcame concerns by installing hydronic heating within the slab. Powell saw a similar staircase to their design on Houzz and was attracted to the airy feeling created with open risers and hanging treads.
“This means that you can stand at the front door and see all the way to the backyard through the open stairs,” Powell says.
They were concerned the concrete floor would feel cold, but after discussing the option with Ewers early on in the design phase, they overcame concerns by installing hydronic heating within the slab. Powell saw a similar staircase to their design on Houzz and was attracted to the airy feeling created with open risers and hanging treads.
“This means that you can stand at the front door and see all the way to the backyard through the open stairs,” Powell says.
As an ex-chef, the kitchen space was very important to Curtis. A long island bench provides plenty of preparation space and doubles as a functional breakfast bar. The bronzed mirror splashback creates warmth and allows guests seated at the bench to interact with and watch the chef in action.
Oliveri sink and Barazza gas stove: E&S Trading; ovens: AEG; fridge: Fisher & Paykel; pendant light: About Space; bar stools: Birch Living
Oliveri sink and Barazza gas stove: E&S Trading; ovens: AEG; fridge: Fisher & Paykel; pendant light: About Space; bar stools: Birch Living
The couple believes in the benefit of a neutral palette with colour highlights introduced by way of furnishings, artworks, and accessories. They chose various shades of white as the backdrop. Contrasting this white, the cabinetry is made from recycled Tasmanian oak timber floor boards.
Copine by Sean Dix table and chairs: Curious Grace
Copine by Sean Dix table and chairs: Curious Grace
Curtis says that they were most surprised by the amount of space added to the house. “It really is astonishing to remember the old house and compare it to what we now have,” he says.
Recycled Tasmanian oak wood flooring: Urban Salvage
Recycled Tasmanian oak wood flooring: Urban Salvage
Height and light were added to the back of the house with a second storey and the void created over the living room with a vaulted ceiling. One of their best finds for the home was the angular light by Artemide that hangs in the void. It was something Curtis saw by chance in a shop in Adelaide, and it is now a beloved central feature of the room.
The couple both often work from home, so it was important that the office have plenty of light. They positioned it on the mezzanine level upstairs, overlooking the living space below. “Although it’s only narrow, it is quite long and has plenty of storage,” says Powell.
On the top floor is the master bedroom and ensuite. The large master bedroom accommodates a king-sized bed and has plenty of wardrobe space with full-length, built-in robes.
Digby bedside tables: Snooze; Haiku Bamboo ceiling fan: Big Ass Fans
Digby bedside tables: Snooze; Haiku Bamboo ceiling fan: Big Ass Fans
An ensuite bathroom spans the entire width of the building and features a stone bathtub next to a full-height sandblasted glass window, which overlooks the open staircase below.
Toilet: E&S Trading; bathtub: Reece
Toilet: E&S Trading; bathtub: Reece
On the opposite side of the room, the shower features dual showerheads and shampoo bottle shelving nooks that light up.
Palomba by Laufen basin and Aurajet by Methven showerheads: Reece
Palomba by Laufen basin and Aurajet by Methven showerheads: Reece
The redesign of the house suits Curtis and Powell perfectly and they love spending time at home. “I think having a great and comfortable place to come home to every day is so important to maintaining a happy, healthy lifestyle,” says Powell. “Home shouldn’t be hard. It should be enjoyable and even facilitate the odd lazy Sunday.”
TELL US
What do you think of this Victorian extension? Let us know in the Comments section.
TELL US
What do you think of this Victorian extension? Let us know in the Comments section.