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

What a Looker!

Here's another small home for those just starting out (or scaling down) at 5/58b Looker Road, Montmorency. Similar in influence to the Merchant Builder homes in Rosanna, the exposed beams & raked timber lined ceilings give the rooms a greater sense of space. Replace the vertical blinds with contemporary roller blinds and give the kitchen and ceiling a lick of paint and you've got yourself of Modernist abode thats bang up to date!

Merchant Builder influence

Timber lined raked ceilings and lovely big windows and doors

Kitchen could be lifted with a new paint job - All images courtesy Darren Jones Real Estate.

Barely Airlie

This little 50's gem at 33 Airlie Road, Montmorency is bound to get the wrecking ball when it is sold later this month...

Skillion Roof

Strapped ceiling, timber lining boards and the quintessential 50's bar!

Looking very much like a holiday home that might have featured in the early series of Mad Men!  All images courtesy Ray White RE Greensborough

 

Another One!

Another Mid-Century home ear marked for development in Montmorency. When you look at the condition of the house inside - solid timber floors, ducted heating, fresh paintwork, modern kitchen - it makes me cringe that some people would send all of it to the scrapheap, to make money. This is not a sustainable future!

Montmorency House - Image Christou & Co.

What the house could be with a little 'vision' perhaps? (Instead of 3 ugly townhouses).

 

Starlings of Spring

I know re-development is a complex & controversial topic - I live in Heidelberg Heights where it seems an old house falls to be replaced by three cheap and poorly designed townhouses on a weekly basis. Montmorency is another nearby community that is struggling with developers. I certainly don't have an issue with tearing down poor quality older homes, or with increasing the density of living in our suburbs, but I do take issue with the quality of housing that is really being 'thrown up' in its place. I mean it's 2012 - surely by now we should be building houses to the solar orientation of each block and able to build homes with almost zero building waste??

Development currently for sale in Heidelberg Heights

Anyway, this post wasn't meant to turn into a rant, I was simply going to mention that the rendering for the new homes at 39 Starling Street Montmorency looks interesting. Nice to see a contemporary development with a little design integrity and quality materials - at least externally.

Image courtesy Enrichment Property Group Eltham

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!

Anley Sibbel

Another Sibbel home has come up for sale at 5 Anley Mews Montmorency. With a simple plan on an unusual sized block, it makes the best of orientation and materials within its compact form. And a perfect fireplace for the upcoming winter!

All images courtesy Morrison Kleeman RE

 

Graeme Monty

Oozing light and charm, 19 Graeme Avenue Monmorency is clearly owned, lived in and loved by a fellow fan of the mid-century era! There have been a few small updates to the kitchen and bathroom but all within the existing framework of the original home. It has such a great vibe - you feel like you could move right in and feel at home straight away!

Love the green on green bathroom!

Light & spacious living room

Front Terrace - perfect for capturing the afternoon sun in Winter.

Love the open brickwork! - All images courtesy Fletchers Eltham

Creation of Adam

Okay, so the attempt to 'modernise' this modern home hasn't been too successful but the essence of this 60's home at 58 Adam Crescent Montmorency is in tact.... sort of.

(Image courtesy Fletchers Real Estate)

Brand New Retro

Even though this blog was set up to celebrate mid-century modern design, I couldn't help but include this new home at 201a Rattray Road, Montmorency - for sale with Fletchers. The influences of the 50's & 60's can be seen clearly in the materials used, the open plan spaces & split levels, the cathedral ceilings and exposed beams; even the external colour scheme. Love it!

Brand new retro exterior

Retro inspired interior (all images courtesy Fletchers)

 

Judge a Book by its Cover

Trawling through the real estate pages I have noticed a couple of places that look fantastic from the exterior but sadly the interior has been badly or unsympathetically renovated. In these instances, I suggest you 'judge the book by its cover'!

37-39 Wattle Drive, Watsonia - Hocking Stuart Greensborough

40 Baldwin Avenue, Montmorency - Buckingham & Co.