Fin - Land

Last year MR and I looked through this potential packed property at 37 Finlayson Street, Rosanna. I love the Golflinks/Elliston Estate and while this home is probably not one of the original Merchant Builder homes, I thought it had a lot going for it. Unfortunately I couldn't get MR over the line, despite my rough and ready rendering of how I would renovate the living spaces (it did need a lot of work). And so our search for the perfect Mid-Century home continues....

Soaring Roof Lines

Timber lined cathedral ceilings inside

'Before' RBID hypothetical 'make-over'

My rough photoshop rendering - AFTER RBID hypothetical 'make-over' (New floor tiles, replace joinery doors in kitchen, new paint colour scheme throughout and new mid-century style pendant light fittings)

All images courtesy Miles Real Estate

Yall - ow

A double entry today as here is another home I am a bit slow getting this one on the blog (it was auctioned on Saturday 12th April) - It's 338 Yallambie Road, Yallambie - and I love it! Yallambie is a great tucked away little suburb nestled between bushy parklands and bushy army lands.

Love the non-fence!

I suspect the current owners/residents have a great appreciation for Mid-Century style already!

yes, yes, yes...

I am slightly obsessed by swimming pools since our hot, hot summer! All images courtesy Nelson Alexander RE

Corrong Caught

During my hiatus I was also contacted by Paul who was researching Merchant Builders Homes in the area. He brought this fantastic original example at 7 Corrong Court, Eltham to my attention and suggested I include it on the blog. Although its from the later part of the 20th Century it certainly holds true to the principles and elements that were breaking ground in the 50's & 60's, where as a lot of homes in the 80's were more interested in being 'mock' period in style.

Classic Merchant Builders style

Merchant Signatures - Exposed beams & bricks, timber lined ceilings, fireplace and lots of windows

All images courtesy Fletchers Real Estate

Need A Von Nida

Recently sold in the Rosanna Elliston or Golflinks Estate is this great home at 14 Von Nida Crescent, Rosanna. I got talking to one of the neighbours at an inspection and I believe the home was built for a staff member at Merchant Builders around 1972. The architects may have been McGlashan Everist.

Von Nida Crescent Elevation

Amazing hardwood timber ceilings throughout

Lovely North facing Deck - All Images courtesy Fletchers Real Estate

Devlin the Detail

MR went to check out another pocket sized home at 9 Devlin Court, Rosanna last week.
Located in the Golf Links Estate, it has the Merchant Builder stamp all over it.

Oh I do love a dark exterior paint colour to contrast with brickwork!

Timber Ceiling - tick.  Fireplace - tick.

Images courtesy Miles Real Estate

 

Wacky Bachli

Its been a while since my last post but Spring has kept me busy checking out lots of cool mid-century homes in Banyule. 

MR and i took a stroll through the Golf Links park over the sunny weekend and stopped off at the inspection for 6-8 Bachli Court, Rosanna.

All current images courtesy Hocking Stuart Ivanhoe

We had often wondered what the house's story was. Although parts of the home seemed in keeping with the merchant style of the golf links estate, others seemed out of step, almost castle-like with angles and forms that aren't familiar to mid-century architecture. After an opportunity to walk through the house and a review of the floorplan, it was clear that the rear section with upper floor had been added at a later time. Although the materials used in the addition were sympathetic, the reworked ground floor had a disorienting layout of rooms. 

Floor Plan Hocking Stuart

After a little research online, I managed to find that the original house (House 'A') was designed by feted architect Charles Duncan and built in 1968-69. The open fire in the living room is entirely reminiscent of the one at 27-35 Seymour Drive, Viewbank so I should have twigged! There are even some photographs taken by Peter Willie in the State Library Archives showing what the original house looked like. Below I have paired the State Library photos with the current sale campaign photos. As you can see, some fairly substantial additions and changes have been made over the years but in line with the materials and character of the original design.

Original entry - Single level dwelling with garage set back from entrance. Dark exterior colour scheme.

Current entry - Upper floor added, garage brought forward.

Original Living - Trademark Charles Duncan fireplace. Beams painted dark.

Current Living - Mantle added to fireplace(?) Beams painted light. Brick planter box to LHS fireplace has been removed.

Original Living - Brick dividing wall between living room and kitchen.

Original kitchen - Small basic original kitchen space.

Current Entry/Dining Area - Probably original kitchen area where current entrance table is. Brick dividing wall between living room and original kitchen has been removed.

Original Rear of Home - Single level dwelling only

Current Side of Home - Taken from an adjacent angle but it shows how the home has dramatically changed form over the years.

Current Family Room/Kitchen - Wacky angles but sympathetic material palette to original parts of the home.

Current Ensuite - Strange 'Speedboat Bath' in very open plan ensuite! - Sympathetic material palette.

Avarn a Go

4 Avarn Court Eltham is trademark Eltham style. It has been updated, but still has 

the bulk of original features.

(Images courtesy Barry Plant Eltham)

Seymour Spectacular

What a spectacular property to finish the week on! Wow, wow, wow!! And MR and I thought our garden was big! Try 6.75 undulating acres including banks of the Plenty River. 

27-35 Seymour Grove Viewbank is a short walk from the Lower Plenty Hotel (but hey, don't let that disuade you!) It was designed in the 60's by architect Charles Duncan who was the winner of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Vic.) Single House award (1965 for 4 Glenard Drive, Heidelberg) and was also involved in the Elliston Estate, Rosanna).

This superb mid-century house features extensive glazing, Daniel Robertson style bricks, original slate floors and that double sided open fireplace. Think I'll go check it out this weekend! 

Perfectly sited in the landscape

Yes, that double sided open fireplace!! Floating hearth, slate floors. Fab.

(Images courtesy Morrison Kleeman Real Estate)

A little more about Elliston Estate Rosanna

Yesterday I revealed my crush on Cremlin Court but today I thought I would post a little more information about Elliston Estate. It was actually named after the landscape designer Ellis Stones and includes the following streets;

Bachli, Cremin, Ferrier, Pickworth, Hartley, Nagle and Devlin Courts; Stanton, Crampton, Phillips and Von Nida Crescents; the west side of Finlayson Street; and Thompson Drive(all Rosanna)

Elliston Estate - now Rosanna Parklands

From Heritage Victoria:
Merchant Builders assembled a consultant team of award winning domestic architects in the domestic field to design 50 basic house plans. Each purchaser would work with the architect to achieve personal design requirements as amendments to the basic plan. Materials were limited to a specified range.

The architects consulted were:
* Charles Duncan (winner of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Vic.) Single House award for 1965 for the Williams House, 4 Glenard Drive, Heidelberg)
* Daryl Jackson and Evan Walker (later to win the RAIA (Vic.) Bronze Medal in 1970 for Lauriston Girls School, Malvern).
* David McGlashan and Neil Everist (winners of the RAIA (Vic.) 1968 Bronze Medal for the Reed House (Heide), Bulleen).
* Graeme C. Gunn (winner of RAIA (Vic.) Single House Award for 1966).

Merchant Building Pty Ltd's own landscape designer and Ivanhoe resident, Ellis Stones, created the general landscape concept and consulted with individual house owners on detailed design of the front gardens. The estate was named after him. The name of the adjacent open space has been changed from Ellison Park to Rosanna Parklands.

For this estate and for earlier smaller concepts, Merchant Builders Pty Ltd was given the RAIA (Vic.) Bronze Medal in the Robin Boyd Environment Award of 1972. Unfortunately Merchant Builders' involvement at Elliston was terminated in 1971 and the rest of the estate was sold for speculative development.


"The principal design philosophy for (Elliston) estate was the integration of the building and architectural professions to provide an integrated residential environment. Limited heterogeneity was stressed with personal home owner identity being expressed by house plan and finish selection, within a given framework. Housing estates in Columbia, Valencia and Reston in the United States and New Ash Green in England were cited as international precedents.

Ellis Stones stated the landscape philosophy ... 'Existing trees in the estate will be left wherever possible ... and any new trees planted will be native Australian trees. It will be a very informal design with no formal flower beds. The landscape must be strong and simple with one continuous flowing feeling.'


The concept embodied by Ellis Stones and the consulting architects was also not dissimilar to Walter Burley Griffin and Frank Lloyd Wright's planning philosophies, emphasising integration of built form and landscape. Full height glazing and courtyards were intended to integrate interior and exterior. The desire to eliminate footpaths by extending the united front garden to the kerb, relates to residential planning designs by Burley Griffin who conceived that front gardens should be communal parks to soften the impact of the built form as viewed from the road.
The cul-de-sac street form, limited materials and design choice, integrated with architect consultation and a limited range of materials were also concepts embodied in the Jennings' Beaumont Estate of 30 years before.
Natural stained finishes, clinker bricks and heavy beams continued the Wright influence at Elliston, which had been popularised in Victoria by Charles Duncan. The vogue for private courtyards, either fully or semi enclosed, was another repeating theme. Additional features embodied into the design of dwellings include wide overhanging eaves, pergolas or slatted sunshades, and full height windows facing north."
 

Cremlin Crush

I must admit I have a crush on 3 Cremlin Court Rosanna. I have a crush on the whole Merchant Builders Elliston Estate really. 

"The Elliston Estate is representative of the prevailing town planning and the architectural ideals of the late 1960s which aimed to integrate the private or personal living environment into a broader community context. This has been effectively achieved at Elliston where the estate layout, creekside public open space, Australian native landscape and the reticulation of services have been combined to create a visually harmonious communal environment."

(Images courtesy Miles Real Estate)

Now I think the less said about the updated interior the better at this point but the house is sited beautifully in the bush garden, taking full advantage of the Northern aspect in the living spaces. It also boasts solar electricity and a rainwater tank making it a very sustainable package.

Jackson & the Merchant

Daryl Jackson designed and built by Merchant Builders, 63 Wycliffe Crescent Eltham ticks all the boxes. It's listed with Morrison Kleeman.

Approach with exposed timber & bricks, native garden and courtyard paving.

Lets start with the cracking good Northern orientation to the living spaces which should be top of everyone's list when looking for a new home (or designing one for that matter; can you believe we still have to mention this in 2011?!). With all the hallmarks of the Merchant style included; breezy open living spaces, open fire, timbered ceilings, slate floors, built in joinery, substantial windows, exposed brick and courtyard style garden. What a cracker!

Original kitchen, timber lined ceilings, slate floors and lots of natural light.

Quintessential Hearth (all images courtesy Morrison Kleeman)

Zig Zag Zuster

Some of you may know the designer furniture store 'Zuster' in Richmond. They are one of a handful of designer/manufacturers who still make their beautiful timber furniture in Australia. Zuster (dutch for sister) is founded by the 4 daughters of Meyer Sibbel, a builder who constructed many australian homes from the 1950's...

..such as 77 Zig Zag Road in Eltham, for sale with Bekdon Richards.  I was initially unsure about including this property in my blog and it was actually the original kitchen cabinetry which got me over the line. No wonder given its credentials!!

Front elevation.

Beautiful original timber kitchen (including handles) and cork floors. Lots of windows too.

Hearth & Home. Stunning views too.

Jelbart Jubilee

Okay, just use your imagination here - remove the puffy velour sofas and frilly bed valances and mentally strip this home back to its bones. 9 Jelbart Court Eltham has some features worth exploring. For instance; the high timber lined ceilings with exposed beams, floor to ceiling windows (new blinds), exposed brick internal walls including possible original wood burning fire, north facing living spaces and extensive garden.

Photos courtesy Morrison Kleeman