THE early 1900s double-brick home at 176 Havannah Street would have some stories to tell after more than a century standing in central Bathurst.
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It would have played host to many families before it was lov-ingly restored by current owners Christine Farmer and Wayne Stephens.
They purchased the property 10 years ago and immediately set about returning it to its former glory.
Ms Farmer said the property’s beauty had been hidden behind layers of wallpaper and dark, dreary carpet.
The 1970s had left its mark on the home.
“It was very 70s and had floral wallpaper throughout the lounge and bedrooms,” she said.
Stepping past the low-maintenance front garden and on to the porch, the couple’s influence on the home is evident.
The front of the semi-detached dwelling still retains the colours of homes of this era – red brick, highlighted by cream around the windows and doors and on the original wrought-iron verandah fretwork.
Walking through the front door, the first thing you notice, other than the high ceilings, are the beautiful, and original, North Queens-land Kauri pine floorboards.
The floor didn’t always look this good, according to Ms Farmer, who said the back-breaking work of ripping up the old carpet and sanding the floorboards had been worth it.
The entrance room is flanked by the main bedroom on one side and the loungeroom on the other.
Inside the loungeroom is an original fireplace.
“It was restored and all the fronts of the walls [around the fireplace] repainted and the terrible floral wallpaper was removed,” Ms Farmer said.
The main bedroom features a delicate ceiling rose, as does the second bedroom, and both have new period-style chandelier lights.
The couple had all the walls insulated during the renovations.
“Because we were conscious of Bathurst’s winters, we insulated it and plastered it,” Ms Farmer said.
“Internal walls have been damp-coursed, insulated, plastered and painted in soft creams and natural white.”
The high cedar skirting boards and door frames have been retained throughout the property.
The kitchen – a practical room with no trace of the 1900s – is a sun-lit haven full of morning light.
“There are large French doors and windows that give easy access to the paved barbecue area and secure backyard,” Ms Farmer said.
The bathroom has wooden panelling and a spacious corner bath and the backyard is shaded by deciduous trees.
The couple renovated the property six days a week for six months.
“We didn’t want to modernise it, we wanted to remain true to the history of the district,” Ms Farmer said.
“I think it would have been one of the original semis on Havannah Street.”
The home is listed for sale with Elders Nicoll and Ireland Real Estate.
Do you have an amazing home that could be showcased in the Western Advocate’s new Feels Like Home feature?
We’ll be taking a regular look inside some of the city’s premier properties and talking to the families who live there.
It doesn’t matter what kind of house you have – whether it’s architecturally designed or a straw house you built yourself, we’re keen to take a sneak peek inside.
If you’d like to have your house featured in Feels Like Home, contact chief of staff Brian Wood on 6330 2323 or email him on brian.wood@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
