There is something quite magical about taking a page out of Bendigo’s architectural heritage and redrafting it into an exciting and new modern chapter. This miner’s cottage had already undergone some interesting renovations when it was discovered by its current owners. Thankfully, the quaint and unassuming original façade was still intact; something that E+ associate architect Rimmon Martin and his wife, Rachel, wanted to remain when they accepted the challenge of renovating this Victorian property.

The central location appealed to the couple as did the ability to live with just one car for transport, but they knew they had a large job ahead of them. “A lot of people might have looked at the property but decided not to buy it, just because of the heritage overlay, and the cottage itself was in poor condition,” Rimmon says. The earliest rates notice the couple has for the house is from 1895, while there were newspaper clippings under the vinyl in the bathroom dating renovations to the 1970s. “There was very little heritage left by the time we brought the house; it really was as basic as you could get. There were no decorative interior cornices or adornments.”

The front of the property could aptly be described as quaint and unassuming, with its timber decking, bull-nose veranda and original leadlight transom window. Stepping through the front door, a hallway leads past the two front bedrooms to the living area at the rear of the home, which has been transformed into a modern open-plan space.

The size of the space is unexpected given it is hidden from view from the street front. The original property was some 80 square metres, and the extension has expanded the property to just under 100 square metres. 

Rimmon and Rachel are both architects, having worked in Melbourne and now in Bendigo, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the development. They decided to update the building just enough so the family could live in the property while making plans for the upgrade. “It was an interesting process, knowing we would be working in stages. We just got in there and made it comfortable which meant we had time to see how the site worked and what would work for an extension; with evening discussions and drawings that gradually became more resolved,” Rimmon says.

“There were lots of little conversations and throwing ideas around, then realising something might not work,” Rachel says. “We’d come home from work having seen something and then discuss whether or not it would fit.” “Because the site falls away at the back, we knew we

had scope to do something behind the original house that would still sit well within the streetscape,” Rimmon says. The rear of the property was beyond salvaging, as was the bathroom and laundry space. There were also two brick chimneys, one in the rear northern corner of the property which was removed, while the other at the side of the property next to the driveway has been restored. The modern extension features burnt cladding on the exterior walls, extensive windows and a sleek interior design that suited their living requirements and created a striking contrast to the original building. The lounge area is at the same height as the bedrooms, bathroom and laundry, while the kitchen and dining area is lower allowing easy access to outside. “You spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food and then eating, and we wanted that space to have a strong connection to the garden, although we still wanted the lounge room to have that connection to the garden as well,” Rimmon says. The rear windows are as high as the ceiling, allowing the living areas to be light-filled during the day and add to the feeling of space.

There’s also a built-in desk to the side of the dining room for after-hours work and extensive cupboard space above the kitchen for storage.“The cupboards are high, you can’t get to them without a ladder, but they’re still really useful and make the most of the space,” Rachel says. There is also a ceiling-high built-in cupboard next to the desk helping take care of any clutter, and there isn’t a hint of lino in the bathroom now. For a property that was built over 120 years ago it has all the modern features a family home needs, creating an interesting and tasteful blend of old and new. And there are already sketches underway for the next exciting chapter in this property’s story.

Words by Sue Turpie - Photography by Leon Schoots