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Champion Road Estate Heritage Precinct is described as one of the best preserved early estates by the Housing Commission of Victoria.
Built between 1941 and 1945, this pocket of Williamstown North was designed based on ‘garden city’ planning principles, prioritising wide nature strips and minimal fencing to create a shared garden landscape for residents.
It was these qualities that attracted Rebecca Monaghan and Richard Ennis to the precinct in 2010. While located only 15 minutes from their previous home, the tranquility and relaxed feel of the area felt a world away from busy Footscray.
‘This was a complete change,’ says Rebecca. ‘We’re now on a relatively quiet street and we look out onto a super wide nature strip with big flowering gums everywhere… It’s almost been like living in a country town, right next door to the CBD.’
After several years living in the home, Rebecca and Richard engaged Architecture Architecture to really optimise the interiors.
‘Essentially, we asked Architecture Architecture for bigger internal spaces — more light and air to move around in. We needed a studio space, and if possible some internal walls that we could use as a gallery space (walls that weren’t in bedrooms or narrow hallways),’ says Rebecca.
The house now has two large bedrooms and a bathroom with closing doors, but is otherwise an open, airy space for Rebecca, Richard and their three cats (Nami, Kumo and Yama) that feels both luxurious and casual.
‘We want to feel restful and relaxed in our home, so there are green textual walls in the new part of the house, and there are soft curves in the built-in shelves that get repeated in the design of the lounge suite, the circular dining table, and the soft curves of the dining chairs,’ says Rebecca.
At the front of the home is a separate, timber-clad studio for Rebecca’s homewares brand Studio Do, before an internal courtyard and the main house.
A curving glass kitchen wall at the rear ensures adequate space for both the house and studio, while adhering to heritage restrictions requiring the latter to be setback from the footpath. ‘We think it’s brilliant,’ says Rebecca.
The studio and main house are connected at the front by a large gate, creating the option for privacy, or the ability to connect the internal courtyard to the expansive nature strip.
‘For family gatherings like Christmas day, we can happily spill out to the front, so that kids can run around and enjoy themselves,’ says Rebecca.
Rebecca hopes the house reflects their nature as ‘informal, down to earth people who don’t need/want obvious luxury or bling in our lives.’ She adds, ‘We are interested in people and their stories, creators and their thoughts.’
The renovated house has been recognised by Heritage Council Victoria as an example of best practice heritage planning that contributes to the value of the precinct, while enhancing the amenity of the house and garden.
