By the Barwon
An epic renovation took a dated ’60s brick home and turned it into an enviable Byron-meets-Palm Springs-style abode.
Words: Nichola Davies / Photography: Rochelle Eagle / Styling: Lee Blaylock
A lot of hard work went into this home to get the feeling the Miller family – made up of Lucy (@riverlandprojects), her husband Marcus, children Sunny (seven) and Frenchy (five), and Banjo the dog – wanted: one that was calming and serene.
When the couple bought the house at auction (well, Lucy did as Marcus was on his Christmas work break up), it was in a very bad way.
Lucy explains, “it was a 1960s brick three-bedroom, two-bathroom, set to the front of a great north-facing block. It hadn't been lived in for 15 years, and you couldn't even walk up the front stairs as they were falling down. Plus, it had rotten window frames and a bad ’80s colonial timber kitchen refurb. It was in need of a lot of love, but we could tell it had so much potential, and we love the location right near the Barwon River.”
The family took the option of a long settlement to get the planning stages of the renovation and extension underway, knowing exactly what they wanted to do for the extension.
“We just needed someone to draw it up, so we went with a draftsperson instead of an architect,” says Lucy. “The engineering and waiting for approval is by far the most tedious waiting period of the whole project.”
From purchasing the property through to planning and building, the process took just under two years, the build itself taking around 12 months.
“It all of course took so much longer than we anticipated,” says Lucy. “The build started about 10 months after purchasing the house, with much excitement, and then 12 months to complete once everything began.”
Achieving the look they wanted for their home meant incorporating into the design a lot of natural light, white and timber, VJ panelling, and keeping the original raked ceilings.
“We also love terrazzo tiles, so they feature a lot too,” says Lucy. “Linen curtains give such a beautiful feel to a room, so we opted for those in the master bedroom and main lounge.
“It’s a little bit mid-century Palm Springs, and a little bit relaxed Byron Bay … a couple of our favourite vibes mixed together.”
While Lucy admits the costs of the renovation and extension blew out, Marcus is an electrician so they were able to save some money that way.
“You get so far into the process that it's hard to go back,” says Lucy. “And all the little things that add a thousand dollars here and a thousand there, end up being the details that you love the most about the house, and make it worth it.”
Now that the project is finished, Lucy offers the sage advice to would-be renovators that an important thing to do is work on your ability to make choices – and good ones – quickly.
“You can really get bogged down in the million things that you have to decide on with renovating, a bit like planning a wedding,” says Lucy. “But in the end, you just have to trust your gut and make a decision. I never wanted to be the one to hold things up!”
Despite all of the beautiful spaces in the home, Lucy says the original sunken lounge is the family’s favourite room.
“We kept the original timber beams on the raked ceiling, and the same large window plan, there is the most amazing big tree right out the front, so it's very protected there even though it’s on the street,” Lucy says.
“We are so thrilled with how the house has been transformed – inside and out.”
