Footscray cottage blends industrial style with Victorian charm

Author:ahsan

An old doorway can be seen in the exposed brick wall.

A slick transformation of an old Victorian cottage has created an industrial-infused brick beauty blending old and new in Footscray.

Interior designer Cara Gabriel and her builder husband Joel Swain embarked on their first personal project with their first home at 104 Victoria Street, incorporating original tessellated tiles about 100 years old and a sealed up old doorway into their cool contemporary design.

The two-bedroom pad with a slick new look has just hit the market for $780,000-$840,000, having been snapped up in original condition from the government for $602,000 in 2016.

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Textural plywood finishes in the cool kitchen.

Bit of a change.

Three properties near the train line were sold off by the government in 2016.

“We really wanted to create a house that took this old 1880s house, brought it into the modern day and made it something that could then live on for the next 100 years,” Ms Gabriel said.

The creative pair removed a non-structural wall to open up the main kitchen, living and dining space, where a brick wall exposed after plaster was removed is a design focal point.

It includes a bricked-up old doorway that adds plenty of character and a sense of history to the design.

Original tessellated tiles remain on the floor in the bathroom and in the laundry, with similarly decorated floor tiles chosen for the modern kitchen to connect both eras.

A white paint job was the main move at the front of the house.

How the bedroom looked previously.

The other bedroom is similar in style and space.

An on-trend plywood kitchen was customised with a grey tint that lets the grain show through.

“It’s the most solid kitchen you will ever come across — it’s so sturdy, ” Ms Gabriel said.
“Joel built it. The textural look is offset with a really simple benchtop and splashback.”

Village Seddon agent Joseph Luppino said the style of the “quite high end” space was a drawcard for buyers, who also appreciated the clever use of limited space.

“They’ve used the whole floor to ceiling for things like cabinetry,” he said.

Ms Gabriel said the vision for the front of the house was to keep as many of the features as possible, which were enhanced by changing a pink, green and beige paint job to white.

Pastel pink in the bathroom.

Original tiles remain on the floor.

The neat rear courtyard.

“There are original ceiling rosettes and a decorative vent covered in little birds, and when it’s all white you can see all those beautiful little details,” Ms Gabriel, of Pilot Studio, said.

“We didn’t do that much visually to the front of the house. We really wanted to respect the age and original details as much as possible at the front and then have that transition.

“It could be a warehouse apartment in Collingwood at the back, but the house is really rooted in that original Victorian history, which was really important to us to keep as much as possible … we love this house passionately and wanted to carry it on for the next buyers.”