![]() | Dr Retro House Calls |
5 Houzz Awards
4 Houzz Badges
Contact Info:
Alistair McLean
Secret Design Studio
Mt Waverley, Victoria 3149
Australia
Secret Design Studio
Mt Waverley, Victoria 3149
Australia
Typical Job Costs:
$650 - $10,000
Most Dr Retro House Calls last between two and three hours. The minimum charge is for two hours. Cost depends on location and travel time from Secret Design Studio which is in Mt Waverley in Melbourne.
Most Dr Retro House Calls last between two and three hours. The minimum charge is for two hours. Cost depends on location and travel time from Secret Design Studio which is in Mt Waverley in Melbourne.
Category:
https://www.houzz.com.au/pro/secret-design_studio copied to clipboard
Dr Retro is the Mid-Century Specialist.
Since 2010 Secret Design Studio has been helping clients in Melbourne and Sydney with their mid-century and post-war homes which were built in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. Our “Dr Retro House Call” service is for anybody who is thinking about renovating, or has started their planning, or building their renovation, who would like an experienced and professional opinion on any aspect of their project.
Like an old fashioned doctor who makes a house call, we come to your home to answer your questions in a single visit of 2 to 3 hours. Our advisory services could cover anything from pre-purchase inspections, to a review of your plans, to assistance with colour and materials selection.
We know from experience that there are a lot of designers out there who don’t really understand the many flavours of mid-century architecture as we have helped so many people with their retro homes. Some of these homes are well-known, such as those by Petit and Sevitt, Robin Boyd, Chancellor and Patrick, and also unkown homes that were done by speculative project builders, and everything in-between.
Services Provided
3D Rendering, Building Design, Custom Homes, Energy-Efficient Homes, Floor Plans, Home Additions, Home Renovation, House Plans, Site Planning, Sustainable Design, Home Extensions, Drafting, Mid-century design, Interior design, Kitchen design, Bathroom design
Areas Served
Sydney CBD, Eastern Suburbs, Inner West, Hills District, North Shore, Northern Beaches, South West Sydney, Melbourne CBD, South East, South & Bayside, North East, Mornington, Melbourne North, East Melbourne, West Melbourne, Geelong
Awards
BUILD 2018 Architecture Awards, Dr Retro House Calls, Best Custom Home Renovation & Extensions Specialists 2018 - Australia
14 Projects for Dr Retro House Calls

Clapham, SA
Post-war kitchen to house kitchenalia collection
8 photos

Mid-century modern inspired, semi-rural, country home.
4 photos

Blackburn, VIC
Sympathetically Extended Mid-century modern
24 photos

Gregory Hills, NSW, AU
1960's Project
6 photos

Glen Iris, VIC
Pettit and Sevitt 1970's kitchen revisited
6 photos

Caulfield South, VIC
Modern Addition to Victorian Home
8 photos

Longueville, NSW
First Floor Addition & Renovation
4 photos

Blackburn, VIC
Mid-century modern garden studio/guest house
5 photos

Daylesford, VIC
Lake House
2 photos

Mount Waverley, VIC
Mancave
5 photos

Mount Waverley, VIC
Marilyn Bathroom
7 photos

Mount Waverley, VIC
BUILD Architecture Award 2018
2 photos
Write a Review











Load All 65 Reviews
65 Reviews for Dr Retro House Calls
4.9|65 reviews
Work Quality5.0
Communication5.0
Value5.0

Susan Clark
Relationship
Client
Alistair assisted us with our plan to install 'interesting lighting' at a budget cost, using a mixture of track lighting, wall lights and pendant lights. We are still building but are plans are now firmly in place.
We had a number of goals in mind, regarding 'mood lighting' and lighting of our modest but much loved collection of 'art'... Using Zoom for consultations was a breeze and Alistair came up with numerous ideas that inspired us, followed up diligently with the detail we need to implement - including precise distances, light wattages etc. We are most appreciative of Alistair's ability to address our changing needs, as we became more aware of cost and other implications.
In addition, Alistair pointed out a number of changes we could make to our house at planning stage that will give great improvements in the future. A value-add we hadn't expected.
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Alistair.
November 9, 2020

Barbara Davison
Relationship
Client
I have recently purchased a mid century house on Phillip Island and was pleasantly surprised to find this unique service when I was looking for renovation ideas.
Alistair was able to make a house call to me when he was visiting another one of his projects on Phillip island. He brought along his "doctor's bag" of excellent resources which he had prepared specifically for my house visit. I was very impressed with his professionalism and knowledge and look forward to making use of the design service in the future.
January 14, 2020

Comment from Dr Retro House Calls:
Hi Barbara, thank you for the lovely review. I enjoyed meeting you and visiting your beautiful mid-century home, Alistair

HU-14044925
Relationship
Client
Overwhelmed with our ‘renovators delight’ we had just purchased we found Dr Retro’s website and prayed he could give us some guidance.
After just 2 hours with Alistair, his thoughts, knowledge, suggestions and contacts were just what we needed to give us the confidence to move forward without breaking the bank.
We now have a spring in our step as we walk around our home to be.
Thanks Alistair.
December 6, 2019
Comment from Dr Retro House Calls:
Thanks Anne for the positive review. While your "renovators delight" may seem a bit daunting you have purchased a sound post-war home with lots of potential for comfortable family living at a bargain price. If you need any help with design concepts please do not hesitate to contact me. Best of luck with the work ahead, Alistair

Fiona MacKinnon
Relationship
Client
We engaged Alistair's services as we needed guidance in how to move forward in restoring the warmth and character of our mid century home. Dr. Retro arrived loaded with reference, and samples of materials appropriate for our home. He also opened up his extensive book of contacts which was invaluable. Having him over was the perfect action we needed to clear up any confusion, and point us in the right direction of where we knew we wanted to go, but needed an experts eye. We would highly recommend Dr. Retro to any body who is unsure of what direction to go with, or who is unsure of professional trades to engage for work on their home. Thank you Dr. Retro.
November 5, 2019Last modified:December 6, 2019

kelscott
Relationship
Client
We recently had Alistair visit for a Dr Retro house call. It was such a valuable experience - reinforcing some of the ideas we already had for a future renovation and suggesting some new ideas we wouldn’t have even thought of. It was fantastic to be able to spend a couple of hours picking Alistair’s brain and drawing on all his experience with mid century homes. We would highly recommend his service.
October 19, 2019

Rachel Jay
Relationship
Client
We appreciated Alistair's time and generosity with his knowledge. Having a consultation with Alistair gave us lots of ideas to work towards, which was very beneficial to us both - particularly because we had no idea where to start with our house!
October 19, 2019

Elaine Varacalli
Relationship
Client
We moved into our 1970 built house just over two weeks ago and were thrilled to discover Alistair was making house calls in Adelaide. We jumped at the chance of showing him around and discussing lots of quirky issues and how to solve them, which he certainly did. We had a laugh at our ugly pool and he had some great ideas on how to make it a fantastic feature in the future. The house was swarming with tradies and many paint and other decisions had already been made so we really appreciated the way he took this on board and brainstormed ideas we hadn't thought of. Having his input and design experience on hand was invaluable and worth every cent as we now have some clarity and can keep moving forward with confidence.
October 15, 2019

Elizabeth Poklar
Relationship
Client
I was confused as to where to start in fixing and improving my 1960's triple fronted brick veneer home. It's held up very well with minimal maintenance but deserves some TLC. I chose to call Dr Retro because he had knowledge about andrespect for mid century houses Alistair came well prepared with information about the house and of resources and suppliers , He was a great listener and came up with ideas that fitted with what was important to me and pointed out a problem I hadn't considered. The consultion helped me prioritize the jobs that need to be done and Alistair has given me the confidence, direction and support I needed.
August 29, 2019

Sam H
Relationship
Client
We own modest post-war (ie: cream brick) house and have been struggling to work out how to best to renovate/extend it to suit our family's needs. Our recent Dr Retro House Call was incredibly helpful.
Alistair gave us great advice to help clarify what may and may not be possible within our budget. He identified a few key maintenance issues and has given us a much stronger sense of direction for how we might proceed.
August 10, 2019Last modified:August 12, 2019

Julian M
Relationship
Client
From our initial discussions to our actual Dr Retro House Call I found Alistair very pleasant and easy to work with. My partner and I have a lot of ideas regarding how to approach renovations and our meeting today really helped not just refine current ideas, but also add value by recommending specific colours/materials/trades/suppliers/products/layouts/designs etc. If you have an MCM home, you cannot go wrong with a visit from Alistair; his keen eye, passion and specific experience will leave you perfectly placed to tackle your renovation project/s.
June 15, 2019Last modified:June 15, 2019

Katrina Barrionuevo
Relationship
Client
We hired Alistair for a 2 hour consultation / Dr Retro House Call to help us with renovation and updating features of our new home. We found the consultation efficient, and informative, giving us a clear direction and confidence in our ideas and new ones - from renovation layout options to design and styling features. We were also pleased to receive a follow up email to clarify our discussion points, as well as some colour swatches sent from Dulux.
May 28, 2019

Tim
Relationship
Client
I used Dr Retro for their Colour Consultation Service. Alistair and Jo were very knowledgable and passionate about mid century design. They helped select period correct colours for my 1960s house and provided detailed colour schedules. Now all I need to do is start painting! I will definitely be contacting them again for further help with my renovations and highly recommend you do too!
April 16, 2019
Commented: Faux stone wall cladding good for feature walls....Your photos is striking due to the space, the light, the design and the details. A professional photographer with photoshop also helps. Copying this stone with a fake stone on a typical average heig...
yesterday in Polls
Commented: UPDATE 70'S EXTERIORYou have posted your question on the Australian Houzz site, not the USA site. Australian tastes in housing are usually more restrained than our American cousins. In my opinion I would not be adding an...
2 days ago in Design Dilemma
Commented: awful splashback and bench tops HEEEELPWhatever you decide it should be done in consultation and coordination with your landlord. What happens if you "go for it" and you do a crappy job, which devalues the kitchen? Are you going ...
3 days ago
Commented: Extension to Awkward Split LevelFrom what little information you have given it is impossible to say without knowing your budget, the relationship of the house to your boundaries, and the amount of fall. From the glimpse in your pho...
January 5, 2021
Commented: Floor plan optionsThe wall between the kitchen and rumpus/dining on the plan will be load bearing to support the first floor structure. You will be able to remove it subject to getting an engineer to design a suitable ...
January 5, 2021
Commented: What do you think of this kitchen sink position?Such a weird design with so many pokey little spaces that are tight. Looks like it was designed from a checklist of rooms, but good flow, nice proportions and good relationships between functions were...
January 2, 2021 in Design Dilemma
Find Building Designers to Help Get the Job Done
Tired of reading all the DIY tutorials? We are here to help. With over 1 million home professionals on Houzz, you’ll easily find the trusted Building Designer for your next project in Mt Waverley, VIC.
Read Reviews from Mt Waverley Homeowners Like You
Read through the reviews of other homeowners before hiring a Building Designer to help with your project in Mt Waverley. If you have questions, simply respond to other homeowners’ reviews or head to our discussion forum for a second opinion.
Easily Contact Trusted Building Designers
If you’re browsing Houzz and have a professional in mind, then you’ll quickly find that requesting a quote is easier than ever. And from one simple dashboard, you can even manage all the Building Designer quotes you receive.
Building Designers near Syndal
Moonee Valley Building Designers · Maroondah Building Designers · Stonnington Building Designers · Port Phillip Building Designers · Bayside Building Designers · Yarra Building Designers · Maribyrnong Building Designers · Reservoir Building Designers · Berwick Building Designers · Rowville Building Designers