A stylish heritage home in Victoria has been expertly transformed into a modern family dwelling

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1 134 A NEW PERIOD A stylish heritage home in Victoria has been expertly transformed into a modern family dwelling WORDS / Emma Wheaton The red-brick facade of this Californian-style mansion is refined and grand yet doesn t allude to the grandeur behind its walls PHOTOGRAPHY / Derek Swalwell 135

2 136 Timber panelling on the ceilings and walls is a standout feature of the property s original interior, and retaining this accentuates the heritage style 137 White decor keeps the open-plan kitchen and dining rooms fresh and spacious, while the parquetry flooring complements the heritage aspects of the home HOUSE Kew Californian Bungalow mansion LOCATION Kew, Vic DATE COMPLETED Use of glass allows light to stream into the home and opens this area up to the outdoor spaces of the property September 2013 W hen the Dempsey family bought this house on one of the most sought-after streets in the Melbourne suburb of Kew, they loved its heritage style. The family was drawn to its Californian-bungalow design and, in particular, liked the period features of its interior dark timber panelling on the walls and ceiling, large rooms and fireplaces reminiscent of the arts-and-craft era. Now newly renovated, the character and style of a bygone era has been carefully retained and improved for modern living. The brief for architecture and design firm Canny Design, which won Renovation of the Year for this project at the 2013 HIA CSR Victorian Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards, was to redesign the house to cater for a busy, sportsloving family of six that enjoy entertaining. It was asked to modernise the property but in a way that wouldn t detract from the original characteristics that drew the family to the property in the first place. Canny looked over photographic archives for historical evidence and to ensure this look was retained in line with the heritage planning requirements from the council.

3 138 The large walk-in robe is custom designed and luxuriously furnished with modern features and plenty of storage The clients had a distinctive vision for their Californian bungalow mansion renovation. They wanted to try to maintain the feeling of the front of the home while allowing contemporary elements to integrate with the beautiful existing heritage features, says Mary-Ann Woff, head architect at Canny Design. The design was driven by a few core philosophies, say the homeowners. We needed to be careful to not create something that felt like a stark mansion, say Grant and Claire Dempsey. As well as nurturing its traditional structure and aesthetics, the new design had to be all about functional, family living, with plenty of space for children growing into teenagers and room for entertaining family and friends. With family life being the core focus of the home, the property caters for its growth and is cleverly zoned for when the kids want to have their friends over the parents have the front of the house and the backyard is focused on the kids. The front three rooms of the residence were retained and preserve the original style of the house, and the back half has been renovated and expanded to include a four-desk study, master suite, kitchen, butler s pantry, living area, laundry and two powder rooms. 139 Dark features in warm red accentuate the timber period features of this room, all elegantly brought together with a beautiful chandelier Parquetry flooring in the modern, back parts of the home are in sync with the heritage feel and ensures consistency, tying in with the timber elements of the more traditional spaces. With four active children running around, the house has plenty of storage. This helps keep the home looking clean, say the Dempseys, with the kids having lockers in the basement and on the ground level and the kitchen incorporating a butler s pantry, which has a breakfast, lunch and baking area. A second storey with two bathrooms and four children s bedrooms has been added to the house and, proving the family element to the design, roof space was transformed into a delightful secret cubby space for the family s youngest daughter. A luxurious master ensuite and two walk-in wardrobes were added to the master bedroom as well as a laundry and powder room makeover to align with the modern elements of the rest of the home. The ensuite is like a spa retreat, with a fireplace, beautiful timber panelling, walk-in shower and a bay window that embraces the morning sunlight. [Canny] was asked to modernise the property but in a way that wouldn t detract from the original characteristics that drew the family to the property in the first place

4 140 The cinema is a contemporary entertainment room fitted with fun red-leather recliners with matching bean bags and cabinetry Extensive outdoor living spaces flow without interruption to the indoor living areas with an open-living plan and through the use of glass Two layers of digging and concreting allowed for this fantastic underground basketball half-court, which has a 6m-high ceiling and a viewing platform from above An elegant highlight that complements the natural stone and porcelain, a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. For Claire Dempsey, it was love at first sight when she entered her new bedroom and ensuite. You feel like you re in another world. I absolutely love it. It s very elegant, tranquil and luxurious. I can t believe how amazing it looks. The basement was a complex construction that was no easy feat, but an exciting addition for a family with four active kids. This roomy underground level has something for all the family, with a cellar, five-car garage, gym, guest retreat, kids play area, cinema room, bathroom and a basketball court. For the homeowners, it s the basement area that has been the most popular and fits their design objective the best. The home cinema, in particular, is very comfortable and lavish, says Canny Design interior designer Janine Carter. Fitted out in funky red and black, it has the feel of a real cinema with 11 leather recliners and a 130-inch screen. It s an opulent room and a very well-used one too. Above ground, the property s extensive outdoor area is stunning and expertly integrates indoor and outdoor living using custom sliding doors to achieve the feel of uninterrupted space. A lap pool, spa, water feature and children s pool area are all part of one big L-shaped pool. 141 The pool design has worked really well, says the Dempsey family. The water feature in the spa is a real hit with the kids and their friends. The family can cater for large parties whether it s family, friends or sports team celebrations in their numerous outdoor areas, which includes covered al fresco spaces for socialising or relaxing as well as an outdoor kitchen, barbecue area and seating. Above the basement, a tennis court and further outdoor entertaining area was also created. For Mary-Ann, it s the commitment to outdoor living and the successful ways they were able to make this work on the property that she loves. The clients can soak up the outdoor atmosphere and make the most of the northerly sun that streams through the floor-to-ceiling doors. The various views to the pool and alfresco areas make this a real Australianliving feature. While the extensive renovations weren t without their challenges, for example, the deep basement meant two layers of digging and concreting plus stabilising the front facade s buttress columns the impressive results make it all worthwhile. This is a large, spacious home, with luxe finishes and features, which is highly functional and favoured by its owners. As Mary-Ann says, this renovated property has an elegant grandeur without being pretentious. Above ground, the property s extensive outdoor area is stunning and expertly integrates indoor and outdoor living using custom sliding doors to achieve the feel of uninterrupted space

5 142 The timber finishes add a traditional feel to this dramatic and grand bathroom. The modern-shaped bath and basin contrast beautifully with the dainty elegance of the lighting 2 3 LEGEND FIRST FLOOR 1 Lift 2 Bedroom 2 3 Walk-in robe 4 Ensuite 5 Bedroom 3 6 Bedroom 4 7 Bedroom 5 8 Bathroom 9 Hall 10 Roof GROUND FLOOR 11 Porch 12 Entry 13 Hallway 14 Formal living room 15 Formal dining room 16 Bedroom 1 17 Ensuite 18 Walk-in robe Den 20 Study 21 Kitchen 22 Pantry 23 Store 24 Meals room 25 Family room 26 W.C 27 Laundry BASEMENT 28 Garage 29 Gym 30 Home cinema 31 Guest sitting 32 Guest bedroom 33 Rumpus room 34 Basketball court 35 Bathroom 36 Foyer 37 Driveway ramp FIRST FLOOR PLAN ex. timber N GROUND FLOOR PLAN TEAM ARCHITECT & BUILDER Canny Design ( , canny.com.au) 29 STRUCTURE Landscape designer Ben Scott The ensuite is like a spa retreat, with a fireplace, beautiful timber panelling, walk-in shower and a bay window that embraces the morning sunlight Garden Design (benscott.com.au) Landscaping Simon McCurdy Landscapes (sml.com.au) FIXTURES & FITTINGS Bathroom sanitary & basin Rogerseller (rogerseller.com.au) Master ensuite bath apaiser (apaiser.com.au) Bathroom tiles Southern Tile (southerntile.com. au) Stonetile Ind (stonetileind.com.au) Carpet Victoria Carpets (victoriacarpets.com.au) Kitchen appliances Miele (miele.com.au) QASAIR rangehood (qasair.com.au) Abey sink and mixers (abey.com.au) Kitchen splashback Veridian (viridianglass.com.au) Kitchen benchtop Stone Italiana (stoneitaliana.com.au) Wall paint Dulux Grand Piano Half and Dulux Natural White (dulux. com.au) Outdoor paving Limestone Australia (limestoneaustralia.com.au) BASEMENT FLOOR PLAN

6 GET THE Look Allow the Kew Mansion to direct your sense of style with these classy and diverse pieces 01 Haven stone bathtub from apaiser. apaiser.com 02 Grace cushion from Kush Living. kushliving.com.au 03 Fig stool designed by Agostino & Brown, available from Insitu Furniture. insitufurniture.com.au 04 Mare extended basin mixer from Rogerseller. rogerseller.com.au Leura 8 dining table and Steel chairs from Bay Gallery Furniture. baygallery.com.au 07 Caprice four-leg chair, available in solid and transparent colours, from Insitu Furniture. insitufurniture.com.au 08 Nickel-plated iron bowl with circle design made in India by Noah s Ark Collective. oxfamshop.org.au 05 Benchtop Scoop basin from Rogerseller. rogerseller.com.au