In a dress circle location replete with period homes, “Durvol” arguably wears the crown for kerbside beauty. Built c1870, the Victorian Gothic residence, constructed of handmade bricks on bluestone foundations, retains its original slate roof, quoining and Italianate lacework.
In 1981, a substantial revamp was undertaken, during which some amazing Chinese-influenced wall paintings were unearthed under layers of wallpaper in the entrance foyer. Restored by local artist Mary Larnach Jones, these ethereal paintings speak eloquently of the home’s history.
45 Simpson Street, Kyneton, 3444
- Keatings Real Estate: 5427 2999
- Price: $1.75 million – $1.85 million
- Auction: October 28 at 1pm
- Find out more about this property on Domain.com.au
Original receptions rooms – now lounge, sitting and dining – have four-metre high ceilings, kauri floorboards with a rich patina, tall sash windows and marble fireplaces. Each of these rooms is redolent of history, yet ripe for an interpretation of today’s look.
The elegant main bedroom has a bay window, marble fireplace and ornate ceiling and cornice work. Two other bedrooms and a restored bathroom with Villeroy & Boch tiling and pedestal basin are farther along.
Three more carpeted bedrooms are upstairs, each with pitched ceiling, exposed joists and dormer casement window. Also up here is a dormer bathroom with pedestal basin and brass tapware. Spanning the entire floor is a wall of 22 wardrobes, and there’s massive in-roof space storage.
Back downstairs, the extension added in 1981 incorporates an all-oak kitchen with electric cooktop, wall oven and Miele dishwasher. The next-door laundry has a stack of storage.
The family room has exposed brick walls, multi-paned windows and a door to a rose-clad pergola with old bricks underfoot. Bricks continue on to a sitting area encircled by leafiness, and a vine-covered archway beckons to front gardens.
The original wooden stable and barn
have been converted to two rooms, one
a hobby room and the other an artist’s studio – the latter with skylit, pitched
ceiling and access to adjoining double carport.
The stunning English gardens on the corner block of about 2000 square metres show off trees planted at the same time as Kyneton Gardens. Rare rhododendrons, camellias and azaleas mingle with cottage blooms, and it’s all watered from an automatic system. Very, very lovely …
