Thornbury: Near-knockdown home gets its entire back half cut off in incredible renovation
October 4, 2024
By Nathan Mawby - Property Journalist
Published on realestate.com.au on 4th August 2022
The rear of the house was completely transformed with a contemporary extension
The front of the house still showcases decorative ceilings and the original fireplace
“When I bought the house it was something you might have knocked down,” Mr Hatzimagas said. “But I decided I have seen worse than this. And I don’t like to destroy houses that have some history.”
The founder of construction and renovation firm Building Recovery took moulds of the original ceiling decorations before creating new ones identical to the original as he stripped it back and relevelled it.
Internal walls were replastered, new doors made to mimic the old and herringbone timber floors.
“The only thing I left was the existing frame, and there I have supported every single stud with another next to it so the house will last another 100 years,” Mr Hatzimagas said.
He also added new carpets, central heating, full-height tiling in the bathrooms and modern black tapware throughout the home.
A striking modern extension at the rear showcases an eye-catching marble-look kitchen with a butler’s pantry and black joinery.
The latter matches not only the tapware, but the fluted cladding around a gas log fireplace in the living room.
The open-plan space also includes a dining area set beneath a soaring void that fills the rear of the home with natural light from the north and east.
Pendant lights add contemporary flair to the space that also looks out to the backyard pool.
But it is still the period charm in the front half of the home that Mr Hatzimagas, and his son who was originally intended to live in the house, love the most.
“The existing house is my favourite part, I spent a lot of time and money to restore it and that’s what I’m most proud of,” he said.
“We have brought it back to the way it looked originally.”
For those who appreciate a home with history, a front sitting room and pair of bedrooms, including the main, have plenty of the character you would expect in a period home, including decorative ceilings. But an ensuite for the main, another bathroom and a laundry add modern appeal to the original part of the house as well. Head upstairs in the new extension and a retreat offers a third living space, while three more bedrooms include two more with walk-in wardrobes.
Jellis Craig Northcote’s John Karr said the difference between Mercil Rd when he sold it in 2018 (for $1.465m, according to public records) to what it had become was “day and night”.
The modern kitchen includes a butler’s pantry concealed behind a sliding door
The home’s open-plan main living space is filled with natural light
An upstairs retreat looks out on a void to the lower levels living zone
“It still blends in beautifully with the street,” Mr Karr said.
“But it’s now luxurious and yet still a family home – warm and homely. Kids walk through picking out their room and there’s an instant appeal about it.”
And it is likely to become even more appealing as a landscaped garden grows into its own around a new pool and outdoor entertainment zone. He said the sophisticated build was so good they were having to point out details buyers missed.
“The study has a pivot door and it just looks like a wall, we have had to push it open to show people it’s there,” he said. “And there’s even a turning space for cars out the front.”
An al fresco entertainment space has a built-in barbecue and outdoor kitchen
Despite the home’s almost 100-year-old facade the bathrooms are modern
The main bedroom on the ground floor is set in the home’s original section
The home is also enviably located a short stroll from public transport and extensive parkland.
No. 34 Mercil Rd goes under the hammer with a $3m-$3.3m asking price at 10.30am, August 6.
