ECLECTIC DREAMS

A glam interior makeover transformed this landmark Brisbane property into a stylish – and super comfortable – family home.

- Judy Pascoe

The Tudor Revival features of this house have been turning heads in Brisbane’s north for decades. Now, after a substantial interior makeover, it is set to be a standout for many more years to come.

Intially attracted by its location, owners Elizabeth and Grant Flekser were further excited by the home’s potential. Interior designer Elizabeth, co-founder of Ivy+Piper, and Grant, an engineer and project manager, knew they had the necessary skills to achieve an impressive renovation.

Built in 1938, the two-storey property commands a large corner block and exudes character with its stucco render, black fretwork and stained-glass windows. Inside, original features such as decorative cornices, intricately carved beams and porphyry fireplace were all intact. “Preserving the original features was critical, but life in the wartime era was vastly different from the way we live today,” says Elizabeth. “We needed to extend and alter the layout to accommodate our children – Levi, now three, and baby Noah – and our busy lives.”

When the Fleksers bought the house, it had three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor with the kitchen, combined family and dining areas, study, formal living room and a powder room on the ground floor. They extended the first floor to accommodate a new main bedroom suite. A detached cottage on the property (built in a congruent style and formerly used as a guesthouse) contains Elizabeth’s studio, an additional bathroom and the laundry.