From the street, this house doesn’t look any different from a standard Canberra ex-government housing property – albeit with a newly rendered exterior and a well-manicured garden.

But once you step inside this Ainslie home you’re transported straight into the 21st century.

With an upcoming auction this weekend, the Davenport Street home has been lovingly renovated by owners Jane Goodall and Chris Parkinson.

Jane, with her passion for interior architecture and design, has created a shining example of how a modern Ainslie property can keep a little of its ex-government housing charm.

Jane didn’t have immediate plans for the property when they first moved in. In fact, they just needed somewhere to live while they were building their eventual home in Downer.

“It was semi-affordable and we weren’t too fussed about the condition of it,” Jane says.

Interested in heritage renovations? Here is a video to get you started:

The renovation plans came later. The first order for the overhaul was to improve the floor plan to allow more light into the previously wood-clad and darkened house.

“It was like a rabbit warren, and it was closed off and dark. The main idea was to open up the living areas to the northerly sun and to the backyard.

“The way we were able to repurpose some of the spaces, like having the kitchen in the centre and the living areas off the kitchen, it flows a lot better now,” she says.

Working through a wet and muddy winter, the renovations took place over six months, and were completed just before Christmas.

Restoring an old home

Maintaining the character of the original 1959 house was integral to the property’s design and styling.

Renovations completed in the 1970, such as an outdoor extension and jacuzzi, were “well and truly” out of date by the time they moved in.

Jane hired renovation and extension specialists Build Professional, to carry out the build.

While they considered knocking the house down and rebuilding, Jane says they were more interested in how they could transform the house into a space suited to modern living.

The approach was to maintain the original façade, while focusing on rebuilding and renovating at the back of the house.

Features such as the original front windows and the original fireplace have been kept as a reminder of the home’s history.

Aside from sharing their only bathroom with tradies, Jane says that keeping the balance between the old and new was a challenge for the project.

Ultimately, they tried to shape the new house into a place where they would like to live.

“We imagined that if we were to stay here, what would we actually do, and how would we like to live?

“We put more of the budget towards things we value like the kitchen, and unseen things – for example it’s been rewired, has a new hot water system and a new heating system.

“We had the time to do something a little more considered,” she says.

The end result is what Jane calls “urban luxe”: a contemporary house, with a neutral colour palette.

“It’s light and relaxing to come home to at the end of the day.”

4 Davenport Street will be auctioned at 10:30 am on Saturday 25 March 2017.

Photography by Adam McGrath, hcreations.