THE owners have put a lot of love and care into the renovation of this beautiful character home.
It was built circa 1895, possibly from the proceeds of the WA gold rush, and must have been quite lovely in its day, but by the time they bought it, its charms were hidden, with lime green paint and plaster covering the pillow limestone.
“We loved the home’s large rooms with beautiful period features, including fireplaces, sash windows and double-height ceilings,” the owners said.
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READ NOW“It had scale, but was in need of some TLC.
“The first job was to have two Italian stonemasons chip off the lime green plaster and re-point the stone.
“It was a huge and laborious job, but well worth it to reveal the limestone, and to let it breathe.”
Next, they cleared the overgrown front garden and replaced fibro fences with reclaimed brick.
“The existing front wall gave this space both privacy and security and inspired us to design a beautiful, usable space and attractive garden, including lawn for children’s play and a shaded area for entertaining,” the owners said.
The home’s interior also received an upgrade at that time, but it remained a three-bedroom, one-bathroom home with a lean-to laundry and outdoor toilet.
In 2013 the owners carried out a major refurbishment and extension, including building a new garage that opened to the rear lane.
“We selected a builder who was not afraid of heritage features,” they said.
“We used recycled floorboards and found old fireplaces at architectural salvage yards, and we are proud of the result.”
The home now has two storeys, four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
The original part of the home includes the bullnose front veranda, wide central passage, four large rooms (three bedrooms and a lounge room) with high ceilings and fireplaces.
The extension includes a modern bathroom with marble tiling, well-appointed kitchen and an open-plan family/dining area.
The dining area opens to an alfresco area and the backyard.
The master bedroom with walk-in robe, study and ensuite are upstairs.
The home also has a host of modern conveniences including ducted reverse-cycle airconditioning, wireless security system, loft storage, laundry chute, specialist garage storage system, and Sonos sound system.
The owners have many happy memories of their time in the home.
“We have two young boys and they both had their first proper birthday parties with friends here with bouncy castles and farm animals,” they said.
“Kev the Fireman with his old fire engine has attended more than once via the lane for all the kids.
“We also had a lovely Valentine’s Day party here in 2016, with the caterers setting up in the garage.
“It worked beautifully – the boys slept soundly at the front of the house while we partied with music from the Sonos system out the back!”
The home is on a conveniently located 536sq m block.
The owners have loved West Leederville’s character and history as well as its proximity to the city and West Perth, Subiaco and various cafes.
“We also love the vibrancy of the area and the ease with which we could hop on the train to Freo with our boys,” they said.