Good things take time. For Mark Leenaerts, this phrase rang particularly true during his search to find a home in Eaglemont, Victora. It took a few years of searching, but when this mid-century gem came on the market, he knew it was time well spent.
‘I grew up in a Sibbel home, so when I saw this property on the market with its high ceilings, exposed beams, natural light and quality workmanship, I fell in love with it immediately,’ explains Mark.
The previous owner had lived on and off in the home for 38 years (spending most of her time interstate), which meant most of the home’s original period features, such as the custom cabinetry, were well preserved.
But, it was the garden that made this untouched home really stand-out. It was originally designed by renowned landscape architect Edna Walling in 1936, and has since continued to flourish.
‘I feel like I have my own private park only 15-minutes from the city, surrounded by cedar,’ says Mark.
Edna Walling excelled at creating fluid, curved gardens and had a preference for multiple groupings of both established trees and shrubs that change with the seasons.
‘The main living areas are all elevated and north facing,’ explains Mark. ‘In winter there’s warm sunshine through the house, and in summer the deciduous garden transforms into an oasis. There is a peaceful outlook and space from every window.’
Inside, the atrium brings the outdoors in with even more thoughtful planting, and large skylights. After the established gardens, this space was Mark’s favourite in the house.
Over 18 months, and with the help of an architect friend, he sympathetically renovated the old, 3-bedroom house, adding a fourth bedroom and updating its functionality.
Most notably, Mark has added a number of sustainable features to the home, including making it completely electric and installing high-performance double-glazed windows (in the original cedar frames), a large 14kw solar system and a Tesla destination charger.
Two years on, this private mid-century oasis is now for sale again, with Mark making a decision to move overseas. See the listing here.
43 Devon Street, Eaglemont is listed for sale with Mark Verrocchi and Bella Cortese from Nelson Alexander and will go to auction at 1pm, Saturday 12 August.
