Darryn Lyons’ childhood home in Leopold has sold to a Melbourne architect.
Former Geelong mayor and celebrity snapper Darryn Lyons’ quirky childhood home in Leopold has found a buyer.
Mr Lyons’ architect father designed the colourful 1970s time capsule, with the kids chipping in to hand break its 36,000 bricks.
A fellow architect from Melbourne has bought the five-bedroom house from the Geelong identity’s parents, Graham and Lorraine, for an undisclosed price.
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The 1970s house is clad in thousand of hand-broken bricks for an unusual finish.
The 2ha property at 31-39 Brinsmead Lane, Leopold was last listed with a price guide of $1.35m-$1.45m.
Hayden, Leopold agent Karen Purcell said the buyers loved the untouched house’s ’70s architecture.
“It attracted people who just loved that style, in the end it was an architect that bought it and plans to do a few things but will pay homage to the architecture of the property,” Ms Purcell said.
“It was just a really cool place. I’m really happy that it’s someone that will keep the style.”
Different textures jostle for attention in the showstopping double height entry.
A tiled benchtop and exposed brick feature in the kitchen.
The open-plan design was ahead of its time.
A sunken lounge with open fireplace, floating staircase in the double-height entry, raked timber cathedral ceilings and geometric cork relief walls are among the house’s retro features.
Mr Lyons moved to the property from Herne Hill as a 12-year-old and said the natural surrounds inspired his love of photography.
“It was an incredible property that was very isolated in those days,” he said.
He previously said his father based the unusual house on his well-known design of the William Carey Chapel at Kew’s Carey Baptist Grammar School, which is also clad in broken bricks.
Darryn Lyons with his parents Lorraine and Graham at the Leopold property after he was elected Geelong’s mayor. Picture: Karen Dodd
“At the weekend and at night we used to break the bricks — there were 36,000 of them — with a bolster,” he said.
“We used to go out there pretty much every night, we worked really, really hard.”
The two-storey house was ahead of its time with it open-plan kitchen and dining room flowing out to a courtyard with powder room access.
The bathroom, like everything else, is original.
A cork feature wall in the main bedroom.
There are two separate living rooms and three bedrooms on the ground floor, while the flexible first floor has a main bedroom with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe and a study/fifth bedroom or nursery.
Ms Purcell said while acreage properties had become even more popular since COVID-19, it was all about the house for the buyers in this instance.
But she said the flexibility to work from home added to the location’s appeal.
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