This Queensland family’s newly built home is a fusion of heritage style with a unique modern twist

This smart build mixes old with new, offering plenty of scope for modern family life

Family means everything to John and Wendy Walklate. When they renovated their 1880s Queenslander in the leafy Brisbane suburb of Bardon, it was with their three daughters in mind. “It was a brilliant house for small children,” says Wendy. “We really loved it.” But as their daughters approached their teenage years and became more independent, the couple realised the girls, Evie, Ruby and Poppy, might benefit from a move closer to the city where they had easy access to public transport. “It was also quite hilly where we lived, so we had to use the car to do everything,” says Wendy. “And as the girls were growing up, we had a bit more time on our hands, too, and so liked the idea of being able to walk to cafes and restaurants.”

However, they were reluctant to leave their home. Renovating the house had been a labour of love, completed with the help of architect Paul Owen.“Paul understood how we like to live our lives and created a house where everything worked for us,” says Wendy. “So, we thought, why don’t we buy a block of land nearer to the city and ask Paul to design a house that would work equally well as the girls got older.”

The couple struck gold when they found a rare vacant block in inner-city Paddington, minutes from a vibrant high street with the restaurants and transport access they desired. The problem was the 418-square-metre site was half the size of their existing block.

But John and Wendy were confident that Paul and his team, including architect Steve Hunt, could design a home with space for family and friends to hang out together, and peaceful areas to