Canberra Colour Cookoff

Original Kitchen - Timber Lined Ceilings

Lining Boards to Dining/Kitchen Wall

Original Entry Cupboards with Lining Boards

Recently I've been working on a kitchen renovation in Canberra. The house is a fabulous 1960's Bill Batt designed home, largely in original condition. I wasn't familiar with Bill Batt prior to taking this job and there is little about him online, but he was the University Architect at ANU sometime around 1959 (please do shoot me an email if you have any additional info about Bill Batt as myself and the clients would be keen to learn more about him). The clients were keen to rework the kitchen to retain several of the key characteristics of the original interior design such as the beautiful timber lined ceilings and timber paneling in the entry, which I was more than enthusiastic about. I was also keen to design a kitchen that would have some Mid-Century qualities about it. As we were working remotely (i.e. me in Melbourne, the clients in Canberra) I used photoshop to render up my ideas for design and finishes. This is a great tool to communicate your 'vision' for a space and makes it easy to tweek the layout and materials as the design process unfolds. We did lots of options on this job and even though we were just working with freehand sketches, the clients found it really easy to picture the suggested colours and materials in their space. 

Stay tuned for completed pics on my other blog for RBID...

The Main Event

This one's been sitting on my desktop for a few weeks - 397 Main Road Montmorency recently sold. I think it probably looks more old fashioned in its current state that it did when it was built! Plenty of scope to make 'Modern' here - removing the lace curtains and Rinnai wall furnace would be a strong start...

New window coverings and a gas log fire would make a huge improvement.

Love the original kitchen splashback tiles! Existing Modern streamlined layout. Anyone else remember those 'still life' photos from the 70/80's?

Front elevation looks great - All images courtesy Nelson Alexander RE Ivanhoe

Avocado Kitchen

I am a green girl. I like green. Green makes me happy.
So you can imagine my joy at seeing this kitchen at 11 Myrtle Street, Heidelberg Heights.

I think they probably called it 'Avocado' back in the day.

Image Courtesy Barry Plant Ivanhoe

Corowa Cool

Simplicity and refined style never dates. This is why I think this Fasham Johnston home at 58 Corowa Crescent Greensborough built in the 80's/90's still looks as cool today as it did the day it was built. And I bet its fabulous to live in too - with North facing living areas, timber lined ceilings throughout and in-slab heating. I'm kinda wondering why I didn't see it sooner!

Modern kitchen - still holds up today

Oh Ah - Timber lined ceilings!

Bathroom - Simplicity never dates!

Classic Fasham Johnson - Images courtesy Kate Donaldson RE Hurstbridge

Ivanhoe 50's

A touch of 'retro' has been retained in the renovation of this late 50's brick gem at 77 Locksley Road, Ivanhoe. Not sure that this home actually sold - it may have been withdrawn by the owner.

A retro colour palette in the kitchen

Photos courtesy Woodards Real Estate

Watsonia Retro

Pull out your floral aprons kids - this is one for lovers of the 1950's! I was quite excited to see this untouched retro gem at 15 Papua Street Watsonia. Apparently one loving owner has 'preserved' this cute-as-a-button home in original condition. Most encouraging to see a Real Estate Agent that gets the retro appeal too!

Neat as a Pin.

Retro Love!

Images courtesy Ray White Greensborough

Not so Mellow Yellow

Regular readers will know that Yellow is one of my favourite colours. I found a series of great yellow kitchens back in January and recently I found another. Trawling the real estate pages as I tend to do, I couldn't help fall in love with this bright yellow kitchen at 57 Booyan Cresent, Greensborough. It's so cheerful! I hope the future new owners like it too.

Images courtesy Darren Jones Real Estate

Rosebud in Spring

Boasting views to the Dandenongs and North facing family room at the rear this home at 26 Rosebud Avenue, Viewbank also has a fantastic original kitchen and bathroom!

Funky kitchen handles!

Original bathroom in great condition

Images courtesy Darren Jones Real Estate

I want this house....

I want this house at 51 Seymour Road, Viewbank.... I want it bad!

Designed by Darlinghurst based Interior Designer Don McQualter - Retail designer for Scanlon & Theodore, Zimmerman & Mambo - it oozes a style and sophistication that belies its Viewbank address. Although I must admit I do love this pocket of the suburb having only discovered it late last year when I inspected the 'Seymour Spectacular'.

It's not exactly 'mid-century' but its design certainly employs the principles initiated by Modernism in the 50's & 60's. Alas, it is probably too grown up for me anyway. It is certainly too grown up for my bank balance ;)

Perfect kitchen!

Love the lowline fireplace, dark windows and orange rug!

Holiday feeling...

N  E  1  4  10  S?  All images courtesy Jellis Craig Ivanhoe

Marvellous Margaret

Approach from Margaret Street

Big thanks to Siri for drawing my attention to this fantastic house at 26 Margaret Avenue Montmorency. I always love listening to RRR's radio subscriber-thon and it seems like a lot of their listener base is out at Monty these days. It had been years since I had been there so on Saturday MR(who is afterall, a Monty High alumni) and I decided it was time for a re-visit to Were Street including the Secondhand Shop and this rather exciting house.

Dining area

Open breakfast bar to kitchen - One of my favourite parts of the house!

Designed by one of the founding architects of Clarke Hopkins Clark and built in 1965 the house is in excitingly original condition. The only addition is a large family/rumpus area that is built on to the Western side of the house in a sympathetic style. There are so many design elements to love in this house. The timber lined ceilings are just beautiful. Then there is the open plan kitchen in pure white laminate, the original light fittings, the amazing purple-red bricks, the huge North facing windows, the bedrooms with original cork boards and desk and the original bathrooms. I also noticed this great detail where the extra tall interior doors are painted a dark colour, as is the fixed panel above - making the doors seem as though they are full height. There is also the very spacious garden afforded to a home on a 2921sqm block.

The 'Good Room' - Formal lounge room complete with built in bar and open fireplace.

High room doors with fixed panel above - Original cork board, lighting & timber lined ceilings.

Master bedroom with original (?) silver wallpaper. All images courtesy Morrison Kleeman

 You could have knocked me over with a feather when the agent said she was expecting the price to be somewhere in the $800,000's! I guess that's about right for a small-ish original house in the suburbs but it sounds pretty darn good value to me!

Steel Yourself

On the market for just a brief period of time, this cracking house at 292 Lower heidelberg Road, Ivanhoe East recently sold (for over $1,000,000!!). The architecture is credited to John Timlock c.1961. Not familiar with his work and Google is not giving me any leads on him. Pretty conservative externally I guess - not exactly ground breaking for the 60's but it certainly has charm and mid-century character.

 Regrettably, I didn't get a chance to check it out while it was open for inspection. I would have loved to have seen the original 'American Steel' kitchen and that sleek brick fireplace.

Love a kitchen up on legs and a sink with an angled fascia. They don't make 'em like this anymore!

Paneling - You guys know how I'm a sucker for timber paneling!  All images courtesy Barry Plant Ivanhoe

Achilles Heel

Well, trawling through the pages of realestate.com.au has not turned up a great deal this week. I have been walking around the local area a fair bit though so stay tuned for some amateur photography work from me over the coming weeks. I will be attempting to post some images of local buildings that aren't necessary for sale, but have Mid Century appeal.

In the meantime, 16 Achilles Street Heidelberg West would be a foot in the door for those looking to get into their own home. (I think Heide Heights might be getting a bit groovy you know!) It kinda reminds me of the houses in England. It's not amazing (yet!) but it does have a rather sweet kitchen.

Images Ross Hunt Surrey Hills

Moola Number 9

Last Winter, MR and I checked out a great 70's house in Yallambie and although I registered the connection at the time, I must have run out of time to blog about the house immediately next door at 9 Moola Close Yallambie. While it sold in October, I thought I would dip into the archives once again to show off this interesting house.

Strong architectural lines - Inside and Out

Cosy retro room!

Minus the frilly curtain you have a very 'Moderne' kitchen

Images Barry Plant Rosanna

I really do hope the new owners do not render this house!! At a push you could paint the brickwork, a finish used to great effect on Kathryn Tyler's Corkellis House in the UK - see image below.

Corkellis House - Linea Studio UK