'Seamless integration of the old and new': Classic red-brick home in Hackett on the market

There’s always room in Allhomes magazine for a property that honours its past while touting the joys of modernity, and 7 Rivett Street in Hackett does just that.

You wouldn’t expect it from the street, but this 1960s abode has an alluring secret, one that you have to step inside to find out.

“Its journey started like many homes in Canberra – a government dwelling, built in 1960 out of Canberra-made red bricks, and loved for almost 60 years,” Stuart Dovers of Dovers & Co Property Services says.

“The new extension began in 2018, and now one of the most appealing aspects of the home is the seamless integration of the old and new.”

The owners grew up in the area and wanted to achieve an ultra-modern family home without destroying a core aspect of what they love about Hackett. That’s why the streetscape remains relatively unchanged and the original 94-square-metre structure still stands proud.

Then just as you hit the midway point, the masterful new design becomes visible and you’re struck by an awe-inspiring openness that’s only ever achieved through careful consideration, the employ of an accomplished architect and the touch of an inspired interior designer.

“There is a point within the house, about two metres inside and to the left which we have dubbed the ‘admiration-point’,” Dovers says.

“Directly in front of you is a vast interior living space, with the raked ceiling showing off the morning light that shines over the kitchen, and to the right you can see into the landing and towards the bedrooms. We find people standing here simply taking it all in”

Unobstructed light streams in through colossal double-glazed windows as the main living wing makes the most out of the perfect north-east orientation. From here you can absorb the understated manicured gardens as the lines between inside and out are perfectly blurred.

Polished concrete floors, 4.6-metre-high raked ceilings and a sweet little timber-clad bay window imbue the space with a sense of sophistication and softness. And, if you’re like us and love when a home has a story to be told, you can’t go past the fireplace.

“It was a special custom order and the interior designer set to work designing the flow of the home around it. The owner had drawn nearly perfect plans from the memory of one they had as a child, with vivid memories of sitting next to it during winter,” Dover says.

“Like everything in the home, it is a showpiece, but with a special history.”

Whether it’s the complementary angles of the two roof lines or the reserved yet striking colour palette of the interiors, there’s a unique subtlety to this home that’s been built to impress, just not in the way you’d expect.

Hackett

View property

Price guide: $1.38 million+

Auction: 10am, March 27

Agent: Dovers & Co Property Services, Stuart Dovers, 0413 836 330