Northcote: Reno transforms cottage into masterpiece
It was love at first sight for Amy and Mat, who purchased 34 Andrew St in 2015, after seeing the property only once.
'At the auction, no one was bidding and it was about to be passed in, so we put in a bid and luckily got to buy it,' she says.
Initially attracted to the street, which Amy describes as 'one of the best in Northcote,' the challenge to renovate an old double-fronted house in the area was also a motivation.
'The original house was a very basic workers' cottage,' she says.
'It was a case of worse house, best street, but we could see the potential.'
The couple started working on the plans for Andrew St with architect James Lane and Tom Eckersley in 2018, but due to other commitments and life events, didn't start the knockdown of the original home and the rebuild until several years later.
'The inspiration for Andrew St originally came from our architect, who made a compelling point that we are not living in the past, so why not create something that reflects how we live today, rather than replicating a bygone era we never actually experienced,' Amy says.
'That comment really resonated with us, and the twisting shape of Andrew was created.'
The exterior of the home demands attention with its trendsetting facade, while the interior blends bespoke design and luxury appointments, including exposed brickwork, polished concrete floors, and solid stone surfaces.
Functionality and space are key to the double-story home's layout, an element Amy says is one of her favourites.
'Functionality was most important; we wanted the house to grow with our family of four,' she says.
This feature continues outside, with a landscaped backyard that wraps around to an entertaining area with an in-built barbecue, wood-fired pizza oven and a sparkling lap pool.
'We wanted grass from them to play on, and we are big entertainers, so the whole house needed to know how to entertain,' she says.
'The unit above the garage suited our lives with both our parents living in country Victoria, and they just love the space and sleep-ins they can still have when staying with us with small children.'
While contemporary, the home also features elements of its original form, Amy says, with timber beams and classic Northcote red bricks salvaged from the demolition and used in the home.
'Our incredibly talented next-door neighbour crafted the timber into our current front door and also built the bench seat out front. The salvaged Northcote reds found a new life in the outdoor entertaining areas,' she says.
'A little bit of the past is still present in the future.'
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