Mid-Century Magic Meets The Modern Day... And, Yes, It's On The Market!

Modernist Australia

Tucked away in a sought-after pocket in Eltham, Victoria, is this gem of a home that brilliantly fuses midcentury modern with modern-day modern!

This is the former home of acclaimed Australian architect John Adam, who designed two of the three dwellings on site. Landscape designer Gordon Ford (who the real estate listing refers to as the ‘grandmaster of the Australian natural garden’) also lent his green thumbs to this spectacular property, which has been sensitively updated and extended by Zen Architects. Now that’s some serious cross-generational design credentials right there…!

Our pals at Modernist Australia give us the run down…

16th April, 2020

The lines of this house change at every angle. Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

A light-filled corridor. Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

Sharp mid-century angles meet modern-day modern angles throughout! Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

Exposed brick, timber ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows give this place a warm and wild feel. Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

If only the furniture came with the house! Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

The open plan space is overlooked by this geometric staircase. Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

A rotund kitchen and dining area! Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

A boardwalk leads into the surrounding wilderness. Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

A native garden designed by Gordon Ford. Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

A full side of glazing! Photo – Courtesy of Buckingham & Company.

Patricia Callan

Thursday 16th April 2020

A compound of WOW today. This is not your run-of-the-mill old-timey classic of modest proportions, but rather an epic legacy work by notable Mid-Century architect John Adam, set within the gorgeous native garden design by similarly admired contemporary (and Ellis Stones protegee) Gordon Ford (who also shared a close working relationship with Alistair Knox), all topped off with a current-day and relatively harmonious extension and snazzy-up by present-day firm, Zen Architects.

All in all, this is a huge cross-discipline, cross-generational work of astounding presence and pedigree.

View the property listing on Buckingham and Company, and original MA article here.

Run by Patricia Callan and Pete Bakacs, Modernist Australia is the passion-project/website dedicated to raising the profile of mid-century design and modernist principles in Australia. For more eye-candy, visit Modernistaustralia.com.