Meticulously renovated and restored
Some projects can take years to complete, with clients looking for a ‘forever’ house. In the case of the Read Gardens Residence, it was an eight-year project that was meticulously restored and extended. Located in a heritage streetscape, this 1880s Victorian polychromatic brick house came with a 1970s addition that was not only dated but also in poor condition. And while the original rooms in the house were fully retained, virtually the entire rear of the house, occupying approximately 50 per cent of the footprint and orientated to the northern rear garden, was completely removed.
Detail. Character. Heritage.
For both Peter Barton Architects and its clients, the brief from the outset was to create a seamless connection between the past and present, with every detail considered to the nth degree (bluestone skirting, for example, can be found in the new period-style garage). Replacing the extension is now a continuous band of polychromatic bricks, a bullnose verandah and all the accoutrements from the Victorian period. And while the detail is certainly evident with the addition’s exterior, so is the level of detail found in the open plan kitchen, dining and living area – marble benches and splashbacks, high ceilings and arched doorways.
Using tradespeople who have honed their skills over a lifetime, what is not original, such as some of the ceiling rosettes and cornices, has been especially reproduced with a new mould to specifically suit this home. While some may lament the time taken for this renovation, the owners wanted to do everything right from the outset without compromising. The new garage, for example, also built in the Victorian style with polychromatic brickwork, features two large individual timber barn-style doors. But there is a nod to the latest technology with a turning circle in the garage that prevents the owners from having to back out cars onto a fairly busy thoroughfare. And to complete this ‘dream house’, the brief also included a detached gymnasium and a detached building that would allow for entertaining by the pool.
