From an old-mining shack in the centre of Adamstown to a modern and stylish two-storey family home – this knock down and rebuild project on Regan Street is the result of careful planning and collaboration between the owners, builder and architect.
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Located in the heart of Adamstown, just down from Brunker Road, the house was completed by Mark Dewson Architecture and Bull Building in 2016.
It offers much-needed space and livability for the owners Ben, Jordan and their growing family.
“We bought back in 2011. Then it was just a little miner’s cottage,” Ben says.
“Shortly after we got married we moved out and rented it out.
“We have a little boy now, so as a family came along we had to make a decision.
“We really liked the area, so we decided to do the knock down and rebuild, and that’s how we got connected with Michael Bull.”
The result is a three-bedroom home featuring an open-plan living room and kitchen, attached garage with internal access, laundry, hall closet, luxury master en suite, under-staircase storage, a kitchen, study and spare bedroom as well as living and dining alfresco areas with access to the pool outside. And all of it is within a 300-square-metre block.
Ben and Jordan employed Michael Bull, from Bull Building, to head the project from start to finish.
The original house was in an incredibly difficult location and accessing the space presented all the challenges that come with a small block.
Ben said the builder officially got started at the start of 2017, and the family has been settled for over a year now.
“We sort of handled the demolition and planning and DA, and then we handed it over to Michael for the construction. He did most of it,” Ben says.
“We had another separate company who did the pool; they liaised with each other,” Ben says.
The couple worked closely with Bull to help keep the house within budget and to stop any foreseeable problems.
“We had contact with Ben and Jordan and their designer well before a development application was gained,” Michael says.
“I think it is crucial to discuss plans at a very early stage with your builder to help iron out any potential issues and keep them within budget.”
The house has been carefully designed to capture as much natural light as possible.
Along with this, the property requires minimal maintenance from the couple and still maximises the available space of the block.
“Obviously this time a year having a pool is one of my favourite things about the house,” Ben says.
“It’s really nice being out there.
“Also the living space: the living area opens into the dining, and you get to look out at the back garden and pool.”
The couple knew they wanted a space that felt sleek and also fitted their busy lifestyle, which they have clearly achieved.
From the outside the house is striking with a two-tone grey and white exterior and skillion roof. The clean white interiors go well with the comfortable furniture and throw cushions and blankets; it’s a house that adults can appreciate while the kids play.
Capturing the vision for the home presented unique logistical challenges, with narrow lane access the only way to get in and out of the property.
“We enjoyed the challenge of a small site – it forced us to rethink our scheduling and delivery systems and we now have programming in place to cope with these sorts of issues,” Michael says.
Now that the hard work is done, the result is a clear stunner in Adamstown.
The family loves the location as well. Prior to this the couple lived in a unit in Newcastle West.
They knew they wanted to buy but did not necessarily have their hearts set on choosing to reside in Adamstown at first.
But they quickly warmed to the location close to the shops in a nice neighbourhood on a street with a cul-de-sac.
“Because I work in town, it’s literally a couple of turns; even in peak hour it’s so close to town,” Ben says.
“You wake up in suburbia, a couple of turns, you’re in the CBD, a couple more turns and you’re at the beach.”
