Natural Wonder

Perched on the side of a creek, this home has been lovingly rebuilt to make the most of its unique location.

- Sarah Pickette

Building designer Peter Earnshaw was extremely well placed to redesign this eastern-Melbourne home: he lived in it for almost three years. “When the owners bought it, they asked me to assess its renovation potential,” he says. “My wife and I had sold our home and were looking for somewhere to rent, so we took the opportunity to move in.”

It quickly became apparent to Peter that, as charming as the 1956 home was, this project was more rebuild than renovation. The house sits on a 1400m2 block and is perched on the banks of a creek that floods regularly. “Neither the timber nor the external stone were in any condition to be reused,” he says, “but the owners wanted to retain the feel of the home, with its expansive windows and connection to the bush.” It took more than five years for development approval, with the rebuild finally beginning in 2015.