Riverina Project
Overview
A ramshackle 1860s weatherboard house on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River has been judiciously restored by Deniliquin interior design firm Hunt Co.
“This is one of the original station properties of the region,” says Millie Blight of Hunt Co, who worked on the redesign of Riverina. “The home had great bones but was, over many years, poorly renovated, had a terrible layout and was very rundown.”
At first, the new owners didn’t want to upgrade the entire property, as it had been recently renovated, but as time went on they realised that accessing bathrooms via bedrooms, for example, wasn’t practical, so they worked with Hunt Co to overhaul the entire building, “It made no sense to not capitalise on having a build team available to restore the home while creating a much better floorplan,” says Blight.
It turned out that the building, in its original incarnation, had a far superior layout than all of its subsequent adaptations, “Blessed with high ceilings, oversized bedrooms and very wide verandahs, the home was effectively gutted back to the original footprint, removing all the outbuildings and add-ons,” explains Blight. A small laundry, living room and cool room had been tacked onto the kitchen, but with views overlooking the pool and river beyond, it felt like a missed opportunity, so they rebuilt it in a way that would celebrate the views, and “take in the northern light.”
Given that, over the two year renovation, so much of the home had to be replaced, it meant what stayed was even more important, “The arches in the hallway, the fireplace in the formal dining room and the height of the ceilings were realistically the only aspects that were not replaced,” concedes Blight, “but we were conscious to build something that highlighted these features rather than detract from them.”
TradCo was crucial in this approach, with Federation Light Switches on white-painted Double Switch and Socket Wood Blocks resembling something installed back in the 1860s, rather than the 21st century.
The front door was fitted out with the traditional, cast iron Carpenters Lock, an ornate and elegant lock that feels unswervingly Victorian, ensuring you get a sense of the home’s history upon opening the door. Patio doors, too, with both long pane and classic muntin windows, boost their already traditional feel with the solid brass Reims Lever with Long Backplate.
“We wanted to select hardware that was in keeping with the style of the home,” states Blight, “from the windows and doors to the light switches, we went for traditional fittings in an aged brass finish which seamlessly tied into the aesthetic of the home, was elegant and complimentary of the other finishes.”
Ultimately, these additions serve Riverina’s history, rather than add anything superfluous. “The home doesn’t look contrived,” says Blight. “It looks like it always was.”
