High on the bend of Fulton Road, one of Mount Eliza’s most photographed properties is a landmark attraction to those who pass through and live on this popular thoroughfare. With properties on the street still measuring in excess of an acre, it’s one of those streets with stories that go way back to the days of lawn tennis courts – of which the last remaining one in use features on the street.
One of the many outdoor rooms, this one shaded by an over-sized snow gum.
Number 48, or ‘Bluestone,’ is a showcase home known to all who pass it with any regularity. It’s not uncommon to observe a brisk walker slow down on approach and whip out a phone to capture just the right angle of the giant lemon scented gum or towering blues framing the mid-century home on the corner of Moorna Court. Just a few meters from Lorikeet Reserve, it’s also a magnet to wildlife, thanks in no small part by its owner’s efforts to restore not only the built environment but the natural surrounds. Through the deliberately peekaboo fence, it’s a burgeoning oasis of local wildlife anchored by a stately mid-century home.
A rain chain adds a soundtrack on wet days, whilst the pool looks out to the garden and melting sunsets over the bay.
It’s passionate owner, Julie Chivers, is no stranger to projects of this complexity, echoing the disposition of many struck by mid-century mania. “I can’t help myself,” she says with genuine warmth and a gentle smile. “I love mid-century houses and this one was just perfect – flat land, it’s high up and not a rectangle.“ Sunsets over the water are glimpsed from the living area and the pool, which were completely remodelled to connect with the outdoors and the view.
Built in 1971 on a foundation of bluestone and earthy clinker brick, the house is home to treasures of the era: a unique collection of arts, crafts, furnishings and wall coverings including the obsolete (remember the telephone table and seat?) transformed by this restorer’s expert hands into statement pieces. Walls were removed to connect the garden and view with the interiors, whilst the garage has become a welcome room of sorts where light and vegetation are reminders of the property’s considered connection to the outdoors.
The previous owner had installed a putting green which has now been transformed into lush lawn and a fire pit whilst a new garage, storage and workshop has been seamlessly added with flashing to match the home itself. The home builder’s origins are unknown. “When you kick off the additions,” explains Julie, “It starts to feel like a Merchant Builder. I’m hoping that someone who sees the pictures, especially of the brick, can help us find the original design.”
All new flashing adds drama to an already theatrical design where Palm Beach vibes are mellowed by flourishes of native local colour.
The garden itself is a marvel of its own. “All of this is food for nature,” explains Julie as we walk along pathways defined variously by pavers, gravel and carefully defined breaks between trees, where the burden on nature is to re-populate a revitalised habitat designed specifically with and for native flora and fauna.
Towering blue, spotted and lemon-scented gums draw focus in the garden, where Julie suspects a powerful owl is making a meal of the local possums.
A fire pit in the bush: the vast property is a haven for lovers of the outdoors, where birds and wildlife flourish.
Lorikeets, owls, possums and small birds are finding sanctuary in the garden currently being accredited by the Shire as a Garden for Wildlife. “I need more prickly bushes,” laughs Julie, “little birds love prickly bushes where they can hide in safety.”
More than a dozen possums are making the garden their home in purpose-built dreys slung throughout the protective gums, a service to neighbours, no doubt, who harbour less affection for them. In Julie’s garden a micro-environment is emerging to perfectly compliment their native lifestyle.
Cousin It has recently been planted, adding another layer to a garden where every element is considered within the whole for a grand effect.
Cleverly planted ground cover complements bluestone from which the home derives its name, whilst palms offer a peak from the street into a Palm Springs nod around the oversized pool.Soft blues and cool greens dominate the palette outdoors and inside, bringing together the outdoors in concept that acts as a cornerstone of mid-century design. Where Julie has veered from the purist’s pursuit is in functionality.
Food for all in the neighbourhood: all creatures great and small are enticed to a garden planted for the sustainability of the local wildlife.
The home itself is a remarkable statement to tenacity and passion, one that deserves the moniker of local landmark. It’s a passion project brought to life in skillful hands with a single-minded strength and intelligence. Julie will generously open her home and garden in the coming weeks to honour the work of the Briars Gardens for Wildlife as well as showcasing the possibilities in bringing a mid-century home into the 21st Century without compromising lifestyle.
Every turn produces a gasp of delight for an era where the natural was turned, hewn and moulded to release tension between interiors and the outdoors, making it no accident that so many Merchant Builder homes still exist today in Mount Eliza, or that there are more examples of Pettit+Sevitt homes in Mount Eliza than anywhere else outside of Sydney.
‘Bluestone’ is a property deserving of so much more than a local landmark; it’s a celebration of Mount Eliza’s sea/tree location where home living meets entertaining: truly perfect. Absolute paradise .
Look out for posts on Facebook for the upcoming open day.