Pride of place: What makes a house iconic, according to property insiders

Some homes don’t merely occupy their address; they command it and own it, and they stamp their own personality on their street. It could be a heritage house or a new build, a renovated home or even a classic terrace … the outstanding feature is its sterling sense of place.

“In many areas of Australia, there are landmark homes that everyone is aware of as they have a real presence and stand out in any street,” says Barry Johnston of Balmoral Partners, and deputy president of the Real Estate Institute of NSW.

“Often they’ll have a feature like turrets or a beautiful garden or an outstanding heritage look, but there’s always something about their character that has an impact.”

Often the street in which such a home sits is the most important factor. Shaun Carter, of Carterwilliamson Architects, believes if an urban planner gets that street right, then the homes follow on.

“I would say a sense of place in a general way is made by the street, with a good street enabling people to interact and create a sense of community,” Carter says. “It might be broad footpaths or tree-lined streets like in Paris or London, or retail or public space.

“But with a good street in somewhere like Paddington or Notting Hill or Montmartre, the houses have a good start in becoming part of that sense of place.”

The pool at the rear is an unusual find in Woollahra.
Photo: Supplied

A double-fronted Victorian terrace at 139 Queen Street, in Sydney’s Woollahra, has a definite personality — completely in keeping with its location. With a prettily landscaped front garden, it feels as if it truly belongs and almost owns its street.

Each of the four bedrooms has its own verandah and the home also has an office with a separate entry. “It’s also on the corner facing north-west, which gives you pretty much all-day sun,” says agent Di Baker, of Di Baker Prestige Properties, who has set the price guide at $6.25 million to $6.875 million.

“It’s such a traditional Woollahra home with a classic beauty and … with a glistening pool to the rear, which is incredibly rare.”

The property is listed with Di Baker Prestige Properties.
Photo: Supplied

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Doors open into the landscaped garden and courtyard with a pool and barbecue area. To the back is the park Elms Reserve with its own playground. “It’s a bit of a secret for local families and it feels like an extension of your own outdoor entertaining space,” Baker says.

‘Eurondella’ is a renovated 1893 sandstone manor in Hunters Hill.
Photo: Supplied

Across town, in Hunters Hill, there’s a home for sale at 29 Woolwich Road that similarly commands its position. A renovated 1893 sandstone manor named Eurondella, it’s set in landscaped formal grounds on 1200 square metres of land with box hedges, a cubby house and a heated pool surrounded by an Italian limestone terrace.

“This is a street where you’ve got a lot of stone walls and sandstone houses and this home is typical of many from that late-1800s era, which Hunters Hill is known for,” says Matthew Ward of Cobden & Hayson.

The home has old-world charm inside and out.
Photo: Supplied

“Its old-world charm strikes you immediately, and the house was built by Charles Jeanneret, who was one of the pioneers of property development in that area back then, so it had a sense of place right from the beginning.”

For sale for $5.65 million, the house itself has an original slate roof, leadlight windows,  hardwood floors and  working marble fireplaces. “It has so much charm, built by one of the pioneers of the era,” Ward says.

58 Grey Street, East Melbourne, recently sold by private treaty. Photo: Supplied.

In East Melbourne, another double-storey Victorian terrace is the middle home of a group of three and sets the tone for the other two.

“It’s about six metres wide with a classic layout and it’s now been there for over 100 years,” Marshall White Boroondara agent Anthony Woodley says of 58 Grey Street, which recently sold via private treaty.

“It’s part of a very pretty group of terraces directly opposite the park, which also helps give it a sense of place.”

The property is approximately a century old.
Photo: Supplied

Heritage features include soaring ceilings with ornate ceiling roses, iron lacework, marble fireplaces and baltic pine floors. There’s also an original staircase and arched hallways, while modern bifold doors lead from the living area to a private northern courtyard.

The most important factor in ensuring a home has a sense of place is that it’s truly appropriate for its context, says architect Casey Bryant, of studio TRIAS.

“It needs to say something about its context, whether it’s a house with a heritage character saying something about its history, or a new home that both appreciates the past but has something to say about the future,” Bryant says.

“It could be sandstone, it could be brick, or it could say something about future density too. It has to be relevant to its setting but also hold value.”

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