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Edwardian beauty revealed under 80s facade and saved from demolition

By Amy Collins-Walker โ€ข 4 Comments

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After working in oncology for 15 years, Yolanda Aarons decided to scratch the renovation itch via a home in Melbourneโ€™s Northcote that was in dire need of an overhaul. After considering demolition, Yolanda decided to peel back the ugly 1980s era layers and found a gem of an original 1920โ€™s Edwardian home underneath, along with photos and original period features that had been hidden for decades.

BEFORE front
BEFORE front elevation
AFTER front elevation
AFTER front elevation. It’s hard to believe all this beauty was concealed for so long!

โ€œOne by one the old wire cut mission brown bricks were removed, to reveal the original rough cast render which has since been restored based upon historical photos obtained through council and state library archives, ancestry and the local photographer David Wadelton,โ€ says Yolanda.

BEFORE master bedroom
BEFORE master bedroom
AFTER master bedroom
AFTER Dulux Sicily Sea features in the master bedroom.
AFTER ensuite
AFTER ensuite

Sitting on a generous 650 square metre parcel of land, with a north-facing rear and city skyline views, the home clearly had potential. โ€œUnfortunately, the house had fallen into a state of disrepair after decades of neglect and thus was earmarked for demolition. However, once we began the strip out, we unearthed details that had been hidden for years, including photos, original period features and the original faรงade,โ€ says Yolanda, a member of The BuildHer Collective.

At that point, the demolition plans were put on hold, Yolanda consulted the architect Michael Bellemo, and the decision was made to undertake a full restoration with his assistance and local builder, The Building Chapter.

BEFORE bedroom
BEFORE bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER bedroom

โ€œThe brief was to create a family home, with a hint of drama,โ€ says Yolanda. This was relatively easy to achieve at the front of the home, where the original ceilings were 3.3 metres high and this part of the home now houses the master bedroom (complete with original ornamental fireplace), adjoining ensuite and walk-in robe.

There are two other bedrooms in the original part of the house as well as a main bathroom. โ€œAll the bedrooms are painted in sage greens and earthy whites which make the space feel calm and authentic. Theyโ€™re made to look very different to most homes that arenโ€™t brave enough to explore colour,โ€ says Yolanda who used the organic green tone Dulux Sicily Sea, to great effect.

BEFORE bathroom
BEFORE bathroom
AFTER bathroom
AFTER bathroom

The sense of drama continues at the rear of the home where the new extension sports a raked ceiling that reaches nine metres in height above the dining table. The nearby kitchen is one of the standout spaces courtesy of its curved marble island bench, with brass shadow line detail. That gorgeous element is echoed throughout the custom joinery and nearby hallway architrave.

AFTER Kitchen, lounge and dining
AFTER The stunning new kitchen

Another unique feature, the staircase appears to โ€˜floatโ€™ in mid-air. โ€œI love it because not only does the fluted glass balustrade allow light to penetrate into the middle of the house from the large window above, but the folded white steel makes it look more like a sculpture than a staircase,โ€ says Yolanda.

The new sculptural staircase

The second floor was designed as a self-contained suite, with a study area, bathroom, second living area and bedroom that captures the city skyline. โ€œThereโ€™s a mezzanine style opening that overlooks a large void to the dining area below and has spectacular views to the landscaped garden, pool and park to the rear of the property,โ€ says Yolanda.

UPSTAIRS lounge
UPSTAIRS lounge

Triangular in shape, the bespoke pool was the biggest splurge of the renovation. โ€œWe intentionally limited the size as we didnโ€™t want it to overwhelm the outdoor space but mirrored the triangular shape of the house to give it an extra special design element,โ€ says Yolanda.

AFTER backyard

Yolanda is proud that she took the road less travelled, and decided to restore the property, instead of undertaking a standard knockdown and rebuild. “I often think to myself what would have happened to this house, if I wasnโ€™t in charge of its future. Would it have been knocked down to be replaced by a subdivision? Would it have remained as an eyesore in its less than ideal mission brown state for years to come?โ€ 

Photography: SpaceCraft

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Lounge room
Art Deco renovation the perfect blend of old and new for family living
When a builder builds their dream home, itโ€™s always interesting to take a peek inside. Nestled within trees in a picturesque part of Wollongong, this home was originally built in…

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March 29, 2021

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๐Ÿ˜ Not sure what's better: the custom mirror abo ๐Ÿ˜ Not sure what's better: the custom mirror above the fireplace in this Art Deco one-bedder or the wallpaper in the kitchen (swipe)?!

It's been a while since we featured an apartment makeover on IA. Would you like to see more apartment interiors? Head to the blog now to see more of this one. Via link in bio.

#artdecoapartment #artdecointerior
#artdecomirror #artdecofireplace #artdecomelbourne #artdecofurniture #artdecobuilding #artdecointeriors #apartmentrenovation #apartmentinterior #smallspaceliving #melbourneapartments #melbourneairbnb #kitchenwallpaper #wallpaperaustralia
Low tox and planet friendly laundry liquid (and sh Low tox and planet friendly laundry liquid (and sheets and soap and powder!). We have a great roundup of the best options on the blog today. 

A whole host of brands are offering eco-friendly, low tox alternatives to the more chemical-laden ones. Not only that, they often smell amazing, look good on your shelf and come in recycled or recyclable (or even better, both) packaging. 

Good for your skin, your clothes and the planet: whatโ€™s not to like?

Do you use any of these?

COMPARE THEM ALL VIA LINK IN BIO NOW.

#lowtoxliving #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle #lowtoxhome #lowtoxlaundry #lowtoxswaps #naturallaundry #naturallaundrydetergent #naturallaundrysoap #ecolaundry #lowtoxcleaning #ecofriendlyhome #ecofriendlyhouse #laundryliquid #laundrypowder #laundrysoap #naturalcleaning #chemicalfreecleaning #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Play room goals!๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป This is just one room fr Play room goals!๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

This is just one room from today's real house tour which I really love because in employing interior designer @issyandhcreative the owners weren't looking for a complete rip out and re-do but rather to work with what they had in their new suburban home (including a dated kitchen) and give it a largely cosmetic glow up with styling and new furniture (some of which was upcycled). 

The brief was to create a family friendly home. "They weren't looking for perfection but rather a warm and relaxing retreat for their busy young family." This playroom though? Pretty close to perfect! And the mum did the colour coded books herself. Love that๐Ÿ˜

Head over to the blog now via link in bio to see the rest of this home.

#playroomideas #playroomgoals #playroomdecor #familyhomes #kidfriendlyhome #kidfriendlyinteriors #familyhomedecor #sustainabledecor #affordablerenovations #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #beanbagchair #beanbags #colourcodedbooks #colourcoded #toyroom #kidsroomdesign 

Pix by @tealily
All the heart eyes for this little setup ๐Ÿ˜ Hea All the heart eyes for this little setup ๐Ÿ˜

Head to the blog to shop this and two other gorgeous styled images from @greenhouseinteriors 

The stunning @mrsniceart artwork has already sold but the good news is, you can still get prints of it!

Styling by Aisha Chaudhry for Greenhouse Interiors, assisted by Nikki McGar, Kylie Harris, Rachael Blake and Max Green. Photography by Stephanie Rooney. 

#poolart #sideboardstyling #buffetstyling #consolestyling #vignettes #greenhouseinteriors #barcartstyling #shopthelook #bluehomedecor #poolumbrella #beachumbrella
Bookworms need a cosy book nook! ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ› Seb an Bookworms need a cosy book nook! ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ›

Seb and Charlie had one of those kid size couches in their playroom but frankly, they'd outgrown it! I picked this Aussie made compact 2-seater Ruby sofa from @fantasticfurniture 

I'd usually go for grey to keep it neutral but as it's in a kid's room I went for this heather blue fabric to make it a little more fun while still classic. There's more than 50 fabric choices for Fantastic's Aussie made range so good luck choosing ๐Ÿ˜‚ 

I left the legs off to keep it below the windowsill. I'm super happy with the quality. It looks a lot more expensive than its $699 pricetag ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

Books, natural light and a cosy couch = happy boys! And let's not pretend they won't be watching the odd movie on there too ๐Ÿฟ because #keepingitreal

#FantasticFurniture #FantasticFamily #booknook #booknookstagram #booknook #bookwormsofinstagram #littlereader #littlebookworm #cosycorner #cosycorner #playroomideas #toyroom #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #aussiemade #aussiemadefurniture #twoseater #kidssofa #kidscouch #bluesofa #loveofreading
Last week we interviewed chalk paint pioneer Annie Last week we interviewed chalk paint pioneer Annie Sloan from her UK base about colour and Aussies' relationship with it. (And how's this for a before & after kitchen?! ๐Ÿ˜)

Annieโ€™s latest green hue, Coolabah Green, is inspired by the Eucalyptus trees of her childhood (did you know she was born in Sydney?). โ€œI made it in tribute to Australia and Iโ€™m thrilled to say thatโ€™s been really popular both here in the UK and in Australia. Itโ€™s a kind of smoky, silvery sage green thatโ€™s very easy to work with and would complement accents of Amsterdam Green deliciously.โ€

Sales stats show Aussies are all about greens while elsewhere in the world greys and blues are more popular from her range. So tell me, are you a green lover?

Head to the blog to read Annie's thoughts on upcycling furniture and more. Via link in bio.

#chalkpaint #chalkpainted #chalkpainting #chalkpaintfurniture #chalkpaintlove #chalkpaintmakeover #anniesloanchalkpaint #anniesloanhome #anniesloanpaint #paintedkitchencabinets #paintedkitchen #paintedkitchens #upcycler #upcyclers #upcyclersofinstagram #upcycledfurniture #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #anniesloan #greenkitchencabinets #greenkitchens #greenpaint #coolabahgreen #coolabah
I've been a fan of @tkmaxxau since WAY before they I've been a fan of @tkmaxxau since WAY before they were in Australia. Browsing the ever changing shelves in the home section of my local store, searching for bargains or something gorgeous nobody else will have, has become a bit of a hobby!

Top tip: it's also a brilliant spot to grab a gift, from the home or toy section. 

And as for those red clearance stickers? What a rush!๐ŸŽ‰

Are you a TK Maxx shopper?

#tkmaxx #tkmaxxaustralia #tkmaxxfanfinds #comeshoppingwithme #comeshopwithme #homeshopping  #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
As many original external features as possible wer As many original external features as possible were retained in this Queenslander's exterior but the interiors were almost entirely rebuilt. Highlights include a timber and pink upholstered 1970โ€™s inspired sunken lounge with crazy paver floor, nestled below 5-metre ceilings. It opens out onto a north facing lawn and enviable bespoke pool.

Did we mention it has Brisbane city views?! 

Take the tour now via link in bio.

@typearchitecture @andymcpherson_ 

#sunkenlounge #crazypave #crazypaving #seventiesinspired #seventiesinterior #bespokepool #curvedpool #custompool #custompools #custompoolbuilder #queenslanderrenovation #queenslanderhome #cityviews
Mouthwash and toothpaste pretty enough to leave ou Mouthwash and toothpaste pretty enough to leave out, gold sinks to match your taps, textured tiles you'll want to keep touching and a pink clothes airer (not often we get even vaguely excited about those, so listen up!๐Ÿ˜‚).

All this and more in this month's bathroom and laundry roundup, on the blog now via link in bio.

#toothpastes #naturaltoothpaste #lowtox #mouthwash #naturalmouthwash #bathroomstyling #designerbathroom #clothesairer #laundryroomdecor #laundryhacks #goldbasin #goldsink #texturedtiles #pinktiles #pinkbathroom #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #laundryroutine #laundrytips #bathroomhappiness
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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Comments

  1. AvatarAmanda C says

    March 29, 2021 at 1:22 pm

    I love these Melbourne beauties. I also have a deco era home in Sydney that needs a refresh. Would love to know the paint/colours for the exterior. The Dulux ones inside are gorgeous too. So much inspo.

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      March 29, 2021 at 1:57 pm

      If you contact Yolanda via her instagram I’m sure she might share! Jen

      Reply
      • AvatarMichele Cutcliffe says

        September 20, 2021 at 8:01 am

        Would you be able to give me Yolandas contact as I would love to know her outdoor colour scheme
        Michele

        Reply
        • AvatarJen Bishop says

          September 20, 2021 at 9:14 am

          Hi Michele. There’s a link to her Instagram at the end of the story ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply

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