life in colour
The quaint heritage exterior of this Victorian home belies a contemporary fit-out that’s perfect for everyday bliss and easily adapted for Christmas
cheat sheet
Who lives here Peta, trend director at Cotton On Kids; her husband Fletch; their two children: Luella (Lulu), 10, and Liberty (Tibi), eight; plus labradoodle Milla.
Style of home A four-bedroom, twobathroom Edwardian-style 1940s home with a contemporary, open-plan extension. Following two years of planning, demolition work began in December 2017 and the extensive renovation was completed a year later.
Geelong-raised homeowners Peta and Fletch spent many restless nights debating whether to move back home or stay in Melbourne. After a final commitment, it was decided they would remain in the capital until their two daughters had reached high-school age, but following a serendipitous find, neither party could deny the pull of perfection. “I was away on a girls’ trip to Noosa in 2014,” says Peta, “when Fletch and Lauren, my best friend, found this place separately and sent it to me. The decision to buy it was then made quite quickly.” The location, a leafy inner-west suburb of Geelong called Newtown, was just too good to resist and the stumbling blocks fell away. “It was in an amazing area with a real community feel,” says Peta. “Beautiful schools and a vibrant village were all within walking distance.”
Another clincher was their ability to lock down star architect Ben Robertson of Tecture for their project, which was one of his earliest. During the design process, the couple lived for two years in what Peta admits were “pretty shocking conditions”, with no heating and an interior that hadn’t been touched in over 40 years – by which time it was apparent that their dream home needed to be built from the ground up.
So at the end of 2018, the family finally moved out and readied themselves for a 12-month renovation. As the street is heritage listed, the home’s beautiful Edwardian-style facade was retained while, behind the walls, an exciting new home began to
“This place is so relaxed and calm, it feels like home as soon as we walk through the door” PETA, HOMEOWNER