Behind the listing: the 1917 Marrickville home that underwent a 10-year renovation

• Owners: Richard Walters and Kate Brettell
• Address: 17 Thornley Street, Marrickville, NSW
• Type of home: A 1917 Federation house with a modern addition

Buying what they could afford at the time as newlyweds, Richard Walters and Kate Brettell unintentionally took on a renovation project in a little pocket of Marrickville known as The Warren. 

“We didn’t know Marrickville at all at the time, and it was a deceased estate. It took a little convincing for me to see its potential,” explains Brettell.  

SOLD - $2,550,000

17 Thornley Street, Marrickville NSW 2204

4

2

1

View property

Walters and Brettell soon discovered they had bought the house from their new neighbour, a Greek woman who had grown up in the residence. After she was married, she moved next door with her husband while her parents continued living in what is now Walters and Brettell’s home. When her parents passed away, she decided it was time to sell. 

“When we bought the house in 2007, the front yard was all pebble with these ugly brick fences,” says Walters. “The house was basic, with a poky kitchen at the back and a few rooms off that. It even had the old bathroom with the blue and green bubblegum colours.”

Over 10 years, Walters and Brettell worked on transforming the house, first pulling up the carpet, and replacing the original floorboards that were in poor condition with recycled timber floorboards. 

“Over time, we restored all the old features; the marble stairs, gable windows and the fencing. We discovered under the floors the old tessellated tiles from the front verandah that was still in chunks of concrete so we put back the exact tessellated pattern on the front verandah,” says Walters. “In the bedrooms, we discovered the old cornices underneath the floor, so we were able to resurrect some of the period features along the way, which was nice to be able to do.”

Making a lot of the initial changes themselves over the years, the couple engaged an architect and builder to help with the major renovation. Which also happened to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the original house being built in 1917. 

While keeping true to its Federation heritage at the front, the home takes on a decidedly different feel in the extension. Down the hallway, past the four bedrooms (including the primary bedroom with an en suite and walk-in wardrobe), and up a few stairs is a whole new world; a modern, fresh and calming open-plan living area that was sustainably designed and made.

“We removed the old kitchen and bathroom at the back of the house and created a split-level design,” says Walters. “The open-plan living area, which is level with the backyard, has a really nice indoor-outdoor flow. It has the kitchen, dining and living, and with the roof sloping upwards, you get this really big double height at one end, which also provides privacy from neighbours.” 

But it wasn’t just the house the couple were enamoured with. They came to love Marrickville’s location, lifestyle and community.

“The location is amazing. We have the natural parks and Cooks River on one side, and just up the hill, you’re in the thick of Marrickville,” says Brettell. “The community is full of lovely people, and our kids could walk to school. We have bushland at the end of the street and a little street library, and Woolworths is only a five-minute walk up the road, so it’s a really self-contained community, which is what I loved.”

Plus, with two train stations within walking distance (Marrickville and Tempe), and buses, Walters says they were spoilt for choice, especially when commuting into the city for work.

“When we first bought in Marrickville, it was very different to what it is now,” says Brettell. “It has a lot of culture and diversity. There are the craft breweries, great cafes and a farmers’ market. It is a fabulous place if you want a bit of space and not be too far from the centre of town.”

After living in the home for a decade, the family of four were offered an opportunity to relocate to Amsterdam, which they did for three years before coming back to live in an area closer to family.

“We lived in our dream renovation for one year before moving on, which is how life goes,” says Walters. “It’s hard to walk away in some ways because we put our hearts and soul into this, and it has come out really well, but life goes on, and you have to let go of these things. It will be nice to see it go to people who will enjoy it.”