Chadwick House Eaglemont Victoria

Harold Desbrowe Annear's Chadwick House.Stage 1

by Peter Crone Architects

- National Australian Institute of Architects Award for Heritage Architecture

- The Australian Institute of Architects John George Knight Award for Heritage (VIC)



 
Page: Federation Arts and Crafts Architecture

Peter Crone reflects on twenty years of living in and remaking Harold Desbrowe-Annear’s Chadwick House.

Text Peter Crone (below all illustrations)
Photography Peter Bennetts, Patrick Bingham-Hall
Published in Architecture Australia May June 2009

N°1 Stair in the Chadwick House from entry hall down to the lower level. The storage box/seat can be seen under the bay window. Redwood wall cladding has been restored.

N°2 Archival image showing the three Desbrowe-Annear houses at The Eyrie.

N°3 Entry elevation, showing the restored colour palette. The garden is affected by drought.

N°4 Entrance verandah, with views to the east framed by the swagged ogee arch and slatted balustrade. The hopper and sash windows are seen by the door.

N°5 The leadlight has been attributed to artist Blamire Young, a friend of Desbrowe-Annear.

N°6 The house as purchased by Peter and Jane Crone in 1988, with its black-and-white “pseudo-Tudor” colour scheme.

N°7 The north-west corner, showing the disparate windows and door added prior to the Crones’ purchase.

N°8 The main living room as found – the lower walls covered in fibrous plaster, doors and window painted in gloss enamel, and the fireplace with brick front and mirrors above.

N°9 Peter Crone at work. Eleven sliding sashes and four hopper windows had to be removed to allow complete paint stripping.

N°10 Removing the false ceiling in the large downstairs room revealed the original exposed Oregon beam structure and Californian redwood lining below the upstairs jarrah floorboards. The whole ceiling area void had been packed with sawdust, possibly for insulation.

N°11 “A well deserved glass of wine after another day of toil.” The kitchen is in its 1950s state, with original windows gone and masonite covering the original timber wall lining.
N°12 Completed living room. The detail for the fireplace mantle came from two pieces discovered under the house and from the original backing board, found behind the mirror. The blue plaster is an exact match to the original colour, which was identified from a plaster sample and paint on top of the plate rail.		N°13 Dining room. Minimal damage made this the most original room in the house. Fireplace details matched the living room and could be used as a template. A built-in server with small hatch to the kitchen is seen to the right.

N°14 Sash and hopper windows in the spare bedroom. The centre sash is open, with sash cords visible on the other windows. The lower frame of the hopper coincides with the upper sash member. Behind the rocking chair is the original brick hearth, the only clue to the fireplace. The brick arch exists behind the panelling. The mantle will be rebuilt in the future.