A Handcrafted Hurstbridge Home With History + Heart

Susie Silverii and Laurence Parisi put in a long time dreaming of getting land to elevate their developing relatives on. They inspected numerous houses in Melbourne’s outer north-east to make a tree change occur, which includes numerous by well-known regional designer Alistair Knox (1912-1986), but none had been very suitable in their present-day point out.

‘Many of these households experienced incredibly quirky ground designs that essential as well a great deal function, or they weren’t substantial adequate for our expanding relatives. I was only ever well prepared to make a tree improve if we identified a fantastic Knox match for us,’ clarifies Susie. ‘Fortunately, we came across this residence on 20 acres of personal bushland, and were lucky plenty of to transfer in just before the pandemic exploded in this article in Melbourne.’

This particular property in Hurstbridge (a town just north-east of Melbourne) was constructed by Knox, but created by John Pizzey, who was Knox’s ideal hand guy for 15 many years in advance of setting up his very own architecture follow. Laurence and Susie loved the home’s flooring program, and studying about its loaded record from the distributors who commissioned the residence again in 1978.

‘It was untouched, in absolutely initial affliction, and something we felt we could place our have stamp on. We fell in love with the views, being large up on a hill, and on 20 acres of very personal all-natural bushland. It had an instantaneous, calming truly feel,’ Susie says. 

Through their discussions with the previous proprietors, Laurence and Susie have learned many specifics about the home’s origins. The mud bricks ended up designed from clay sourced from a neighborhood dam, the hearth slate hearths and countless numbers of bricks were being salvaged from the unique Richmond Major University timbers have been sourced from a demolition yard and the a few leadlight home windows came from a church in Briagolong, Gippsland! 

Almost all of these authentic details stay nowadays in the timber ceilings, restored mud brick walls, brick flooring, and open fireplaces wrapped in recycled apricot bricks. ‘There is not a solitary plaster wall in this property,’ states Susie. 

Laurence and Susie haven’t designed any structural modifications to the home, even though many rooms have been provided a sympathetic, beauty update. Most significantly, they renovated the loos and laundry to aspect partially tiled and Dulux Whisper White walls, and the pool has been restored. 

‘The renovation/restoration method generally involved challenge solving,’ says Susie . ‘It was from time to time complicated to keep on being trustworthy to the unique design and style though attempting to adapt it for modern-day household living, keeping within spending budget for just about every room, and functioning with the uneven flooring and partitions of this handmade property.’

Susie enjoys so quite a few aspects of this household, but what she appreciates most is the way it would make her family feel. ‘It’s more about the activities this property is allowing for us to encounter the memories it is assisting us to make and the emotions it is creating us sense,’ she says. ‘We enjoy that it is a sustainable household and that we are preserving a piece of neighborhood record.’