Home of the week: Barton home combines original charm and modern comfort

What a charming, snug and all-together loveable home this is. Located in the highly coveted area of Barton in Canberra’s inner-south, this is one of Canberra’s original homes. Don’t let the charming brick veneer exterior fool you, this four-bedroom home has been elegantly renovated throughout, maintaining the original charm but modernising the kitchen, bathrooms and colour schemes making this a very comfortable abode today.

After strolling up the brick pathway to the double glass front doors of this red-terracotta roofed home, a wide entrance hall greets the visitor of this coveted property, with the wooden floorboards paired with fresh white finishes setting the tone. To the left a formal lounge or sitting room resides with dark wooden floor to ceiling bookshelves, while off to the right there is the option for either a bedroom or study. Ahead the warm glow of sunlight, courtesy of enormous skylights, invites you further into this home.

The generously sized, modern kitchen serves as the heart of the home, located in the back of the property with an open-plan dining, family and sitting room snuggled around it. Splashes of stainless steel appliances bring a sense of modernity, while the well-size wine fridge ensures a touch of class and luxury. A walk-in pantry, cleverly also works as a laundry, providing plenty of storage and counter space, as well as a sink giving the space a bit of a butler’s pantry edge. The kitchen’s wooden doors perfectly match the wide wooden floorboards throughout the house, which beautifully complements the light wooden window and door frames found liberally throughout this home. A built in media unit is also a nice touch in the home’s family room, making a place for technology in this home. The skylight floods the kitchen, living, dining and sitting room with gorgeous natural light, while a plethora of windows adds to the expansive feel.

A beautifully renovated main bathroom is perfectly positioned in the centre of the home, servicing living areas and bedrooms equally. Beautiful white mosaic tiles stretch from the floor to the ceiling, with additional wooden finishes adding warmth to the area whilst keeping it in step with the rest of the interior design. The beautiful round tub is wickedly inviting, too – made for luxurious relaxation with a glass of bubbles and something to read.

The lush, low-maintenance garden and hedges found out the front of this lovely home continue to the back yard, with greenery seen from every window of the home.

Modcons include dual drawer dishwasher, plenty of gentle downlights throughout the home, casting a warm glow and banishing shadows and ducted reverse cycle heating and cooling throughout the home.

Selling agent, Sophie Luton, of Luton Properties, says the blend of styles is quite remarkable, “from the front the house looks like a beautiful heritage home, but upon opening the double front door, looking down the long corridor the improvements that have been done and worked the old with the new are sensational”.

Even for well-established realtors, this home offers some outstanding features, “It offers a beautiful open-plan living room with huge entertainers kitchen, sun light rooms from high ceilings with sky lights – all privately hedged on Belmore Gardens.”

Personally, I cannot go past the beautiful studio in the backyard. Complete with kitchenette and a heating/cooling unit this is a highly habitable space year round. Idea for a gallery, artist studio or retreat of any kind. Of course, this could also be a storage space, but it’d be a pity to use such a delightful space so rarely!

Built around the time of the suburb’s origin, this little heritage gem is one not to be missed. With so few homes even in existence in this area, Luton says this is one to be seen. “Because of the limited number of homes in Barton, properties rarely come up, and of this calibre – it’s certainly not one to miss out on.”

Auction: Saturday, July 15 at 10:00am, onsite. Inspect: Saturday, July 8, 2.15pm-3pm; Tuesday, July 11, 5pm-5.30pm. Agents: Richard Luton and Sophie Luton, Luton Properties Manuka  0418 697 844 or 0410 750 413

We love: The authenticity of this inviting and warm home. A true, traditional gem.

Need to know: Highest recorded sale in the past 12 months: $1.3 million for 6/7 Bowen Drive in November. Recent sales: $1,425,000 for18 Belmore Gardens, in November; $1,305,000 for 8 Macquarie Street, in May 2016, and $870,000 for 39/45 Blackall Street, in April.

Surrounding area: Barton is a well-established and traditional suburb. Offering a short walk to Lake Burley Griffin, Barton Offices, Telopea School, the historic Manuka Oval and local shops, and just a short drive over the Commonwealth bridge to the CBD. Named after Australia’s first prime minister, Sir Edmund Barton, who held office from 1901-1903, this suburb was established in 1926, six years after he died, with streets named after Australian governors.