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| Commission house |
| A former commission house is transformed into a light, spacious home just made for entertaining. |
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Imagine the perfect house for a party. It may be a cabin in the snow, a harbourside home with large verandah or a rustic wool shed in the country. One of the last places that springs to mind is the Housing Commission. But the owner of this red brick Commission house has transformed it into a light, spacious home just made for entertaining.
Bill Snell's Commission house is in Garden City, on the foreshore of Melbourne's Port Phillip Bay. The Housing Commission project was started between the wars for low-income earners, but has since sold privately. Today, this is prime real estate — just minutes from the beach and Melbourne's bustling city centre.
The owner lived in Templestowe for many years, so he was used to open spaces and didn't want to live in anything small and crowded. He saw potential in Garden City, whose bad reputation twenty years ago has taken a turn for the better. The area is becoming quite trendy with a café "scene" and lots of development. Bill was also attracted to its wide open spaces.
Despite having three bedrooms, Bill's new house was quite small. He asked friend and architect, Peter Christoff, to create an open plan as he particularly wanted to mingle with guests while in the kitchen. The new home had to be easy living, with a flow indoors and out so Peter connected the dining area and kitchen with the courtyard. This continues to a north facing rear garden while the front overlooks a park.
The large kitchen, dining and living area has a Bluestone floor that runs inside and out, therefore connecting the two entertainment areas. The original bathroom was demolished to create an impressive entranceway. Bill's son David transformed the courtyard into an entertaining area with covered pergola.
There were originally three bedrooms upstairs but one of these has been transformed into a dressing room and bathroom. The others are now the master bedroom and a guest room. Another of Bill's friends, Deborah Bennett helped with the interior design.
The original inhabitants of the Housing Commission would be shocked to learn these properties now sell for $700,000 dollars. And that's unrenovated.
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More Info
Architect Peter Christoff
Ph: 03 9629 2705
Interior Designer Deborah Bennett
Ph: 03 9428 5503
David Snell Gardens
Ph: 0407 559 416
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