After 50 Years With One Owner: Our Ringwood Mid-Century Renovation
As featured on Channel 9's Dream Homes Revealed (Season 3, Episode 16)
For more than 50 years, this Ringwood home had one owner. When the new owners bought it, they found everything just as it had always been: the original layout, the original finishes, and plenty of mid-century charm.
The plan made the house feel small and poky, though. Narrow corridors connected two separate living areas and just two bedrooms. The toilet sat out at the back, and nothing connected the house to its backyard.
The brief wasn't to erase that character. It was to bring the home up to today's standard of comfort while keeping everything that made it a mid-century home in the first place.
Keeping the face it's always had
From the street, we wanted the house to look like itself, only better. The original timber sash windows and weatherboards stayed. We rendered the brickwork and brightened the colour palette, giving the home a fresh, clean presence without losing its original look. An oversized 1,200 x 2,300 mm front door now makes a proper first impression.
Opening it up
Inside, the walls and corridors came out. We brought the kitchen, dining and living areas together into one open-plan space that flows the way the house always should have. We added a third bedroom and moved the toilet to sit with the bathroom, so the home finally works for modern living.
One thing we kept was the original open fireplace and its brickwork. It's the heart of the home, and on a winter night with the fire going, it keeps the new open-plan space warm.
The bathroom that stole the show
The bathroom became the standout of the renovation. A 4-metre raked ceiling and a skylight positioned directly over the shower turn an everyday room into something closer to a retreat. Brushed gold fixtures add a touch of luxury without overpowering the home's original character.
Details that bring the character back
Every selection was chosen to honour the home's era while lifting it to a new standard:
Engineered herringbone timber flooring throughout
Designer cabinetry with a full waterfall island benchtop
Brushed gold fixtures, fittings and door handles
Custom-made architraves and skirting boards
Custom-made internal doors
Outside in
New double French doors open from the living area onto a timber deck under a new pergola. We landscaped throughout, so the home now connects to its leafy Ringwood surroundings instead of turning its back on them.
The result
After 50 years of standing still, this house has its life back. It's still unmistakably a mid-century home, and now it's ready for the next 50 years.
See the full transformation on Channel 9's Dream Homes Revealed.
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