Kerran Langley and her husband Sam were seeking a home to renovate when they discovered what’s now known as Lumière Lodge. Kerran remembers that day with clarity: ‘I was scrolling through the local real estate guide on the evening of Good Friday, 2015… The next day we drove along the beautiful tree-lined street and were fortunate enough to find the owner pottering in the front garden. She was very warm and approachable and welcomed us in to look. We immediately fell in love with the home’s uniqueness and pounced on the opportunity to be its new occupants. The contract was signed on Easter Monday.’
The couple loved the West Hobart home’s reasonably untouched condition, with the potential to restore and shape for the future. ‘Some of the original features had been boarded up or removed, but that gave us the opportunity to undo, discover and recreate,’ says Kerran.
Sam and Kerran lived in the home for a few years before renovating to observe the seasons and the way spaces functioned. They eventually settled on a traditional restoration of the home in keeping with its age, but with a dash of modernity and youth.
Inspirations ranged from English kitchens, to the ornate lost huts of Kunanyi/Mt Wellington, and lavish film sets. ‘I constantly love observing natural wonders and historical artefacts– be it the colours of lichen, native vegetation, historical writings and photographs,’ says Kerran.
The renovation saw a 1960s extension replaced with a new addition. Notable features were repurposed in the original rooms of the home, including a beautiful stained-glass window shifted to the main bathroom. This blush-toned bathroom is Kerran’s favourite room in the entire property, and it’s not hard to see why!
‘Relaxing in the clawed foot bath at the end of the day with the gentle flicker of candlelight, oil paintings, and the smoky scent of the old chimney is the loveliest of experiences. During the day an array of colours bathe the room from the stained-glass window,’ she says.
Kerran and Sam conserved as much of the home’s integrity and history as possible — plenty of which was uncovered during the eventual renovation. ‘It was spectacular peeling back the layers of wallpaper from decades past to discover newspaper articles highlighting the current times in the 1800s,’ says Kerran. ‘We also discovered the shoes of past occupants placed meaningfully under the floorboards, bulbs in springtime sprouting from the garden beds, [and] a tram ticket was found lodged in the lacework on the balcony.’
Visit Lumière Lodge today and you’ll find a unique play on colour, light, and styling in every room. The house harmoniously travels from old to new, beautifully reflecting Hobart’s past and present.
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