Dulwich Queen Anne with a modern twist
This turn-of-the-century Queen Anne villa in Dulwich has been lovingly restored to its former glory, while a chic contemporary extension comes with a dedicated wine room and seamless indoor-outdoor living.
When Fiona Stapleton and her husband Phil Raptopoulos first walked through the door of their Dulwich home, it was the historic features that stood out.
“When we first saw it, it was the leadlight windows at the front of the box bay windows – they were so beautiful from the street,” Fiona tells SALIFE.
“Then, when we went inside, we saw there’s quite a lot of decorative ceilings and plasterwork and leadlight throughout the property, which is absolutely stunning and we wanted to restore that.”
Fiona says the great location is another drawcard, being close to the city, a short walk to shops and just around the corner to sought-after schools.
“It’s super family-friendly but also friendly for retirees because they can literally walk everywhere … the lifestyle it offers in totality is fantastic no matter what stage of life,” says Fiona, who works as a lawyer.
But it was clear that despite its “great street presence”, the turn-of-the-century Queen Anne villa was in need of some tender loving care.
“It was very much a diamond in the rough – if you look at historical photos, you’ll see quite a lot of shrubbery and old tin sheds,” she says.
After purchasing the 9 Everett Avenue, Dulwich, Fiona and Phil soon set about restoring the home to its former glory, while also adding the modern extension to suit contemporary living.
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“They don’t make them like they used to anymore. There’s so much beauty and quality and craftmanship – we very much wanted to bring it back to life,” says Fiona.
The couple took on the renovation themselves, drawing on Phil’s experience as a commercial manager in the construction field and Fiona’s passion for interior design.
“Our carpenter decided he had underquoted and just walked off the job, so we didn’t have a carpenter for three or four weeks, which was quite funny. When we were doing it ourselves, we’re like, ‘What have we done?’,” Fiona tells SALIFE.
“So, a bit of hardship when we were managing it ourselves, but the end product was totally amazing and we wouldn’t change a thing.”
Phil was responsible for managing the project, while Fiona took charge of choosing the fixtures and fittings.
“It’s very much modern but it’s classic and chic. We didn’t go for over-the-top modern interiors, like polarizing blacks or anything like that,” says Fiona.
“We tried to marry the old with the new but obviously the modern section is quite different from the front area.
“The feeling we wanted to create was a calming, soothing environment so that you can basically get home, get away and escape the hustle and bustle. You just walk through the front door and there’s lots of natural light and stone and neutral colours.”
It was important for Phil and Fiona to preserve the historic features of the house, including its leadlight windows, decorative ceilings and plasterwork.
For the modern extension, a priority was to create a space that would be ideal for entertaining.
“We’re big foodies. We love food, wine and entertaining. If you ask any of my friends, I absolutely love and thrive in that environment,” says Fiona.
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The couple created a spacious wine room and chef-worthy kitchen featuring white dolomite benchtops, while glass sliding doors lead to the alfresco terrace, providing seamless indoor-outdoor living.
They also added a new master bedroom and ensuite to the three-bedroomed house, as well as a new main bathroom.
Fiona chose her favourite colour – Dulux Brume – for the joinery, while they also used natural stone and plasterwork throughout.
A powder-coated steel black frame door separates the old from the new, while herringbone floors in the contemporary extension are a nod to the dwelling’s heritage.
Outdoors, the couple landscaped the garden to complement the dwelling’s design, with crepe myrtles, hedging and abundant greenery.
“We went for lots of manicured hedging, a simple garden but taking inspiration from English gardens with the structure and symmetry – think Paul Bangay, elegance and classic simplicity,” says Fiona.
Fiona says her favourite part of the dwelling is the kitchen, followed closely by the bathroom with its limestone flooring.
“The stone is incredible. Even to feel it on the bottom of your feet, it’s such a nice feeling – it creates a nice space.”
When asked what she will miss most, Fiona says the amenities will be hard to beat.
“Everything is so convenient and really built for that entertaining lifestyle. We’ll miss that and we’ll miss the locality as well,” she says.
However, with a growing family, Fiona and Phil have decided they need more space to spread out.
“We’re running out of space and trying to look for someone that can take care of this. It’s my dream home, to be honest, but we’ve run out of space,” Fiona says.
The sale of 9 Everett Avenue, Dulwich is being handled by Sally Cameron of Toop + Toop.
