My Houzz: An Old Post Office is Recast as a Quirky Family Home
A touch of French flair was just what was needed to transform a former post office into a stylish and convivial home
Lisa Atkinson
10 January 2018
Houzz Contributor. I am an interiors, commercial lifestyle, and fine art photographer based in Frankston South, just out of Melbourne on the stunning Mornington Peninsula. I have been professionally photographing for over 25 years, and have worked with many talented interior designers and builders, both residentially and commercially.
Houzz Contributor. I am an interiors, commercial lifestyle, and fine art photographer... More
Falling in love with a former post office that dates back more than a century is one thing, but making it work as a functional family home is quite another – as Penny Atiwill, Matt Learmonth and their two daughters found out when they bought a unique property on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula in 2014. “The old girl was built almost 150 years ago, and in her time has served as a post office, a general store and a gallery,” says Atiwill. “We loved her history, her bones and her spectacular view of Port Philip Bay.”
Upon moving in, they quickly discovered broken water tanks, dodgy plumbing and outdated wiring. As a result, the bulk of their renovation work so far has been invisible, fixing essential services so that the vintage property works as a modern family home. Other than that, the couple has focused on smaller cosmetic changes within the home, including painting, pulling up carpets and sanding floorboards, and putting their unique stamp on an already quirky property. The result is a relaxed, character-filled home with many of the property’s original features, such as an original safe and store signage alongside the couple’s collection of quirky, French industrial antiques and collectibles, which they import for their business, La Brocante.
Upon moving in, they quickly discovered broken water tanks, dodgy plumbing and outdated wiring. As a result, the bulk of their renovation work so far has been invisible, fixing essential services so that the vintage property works as a modern family home. Other than that, the couple has focused on smaller cosmetic changes within the home, including painting, pulling up carpets and sanding floorboards, and putting their unique stamp on an already quirky property. The result is a relaxed, character-filled home with many of the property’s original features, such as an original safe and store signage alongside the couple’s collection of quirky, French industrial antiques and collectibles, which they import for their business, La Brocante.
Photos by Lisa Atkinson Photographer
Houzz at a glance
Who lives here: Penny Atiwill and Matt Learmonth, their daughters Tilly, 20, and Grace, 16, Henry the Labrador, Hudson the cat, and Horatio the kookaburra
Where: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Size: 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Houzz at a glance
Who lives here: Penny Atiwill and Matt Learmonth, their daughters Tilly, 20, and Grace, 16, Henry the Labrador, Hudson the cat, and Horatio the kookaburra
Where: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria
Size: 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
The couple spotted the 1870 Red Hill property online and were quickly smitten: “As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to buy it”, says Atiwill. Soon after, the couple packed up their city life; kids, pets and their online and retail business, and moved to their new coastal home, which they aptly named The Mailing House.
“Moving here was a real gamble,” says Atiwill. “What if the kids loathed it? What if a couple of months down the track we decided we’d made a mistake? Not a chance! The community here is fabulous, and it’s the perfect mix of coast and country.”
“Moving here was a real gamble,” says Atiwill. “What if the kids loathed it? What if a couple of months down the track we decided we’d made a mistake? Not a chance! The community here is fabulous, and it’s the perfect mix of coast and country.”
The house is set high on the hill with views to Port Phillip bay. “One of the original postmistresses used to watch the ships sail through the bay towards Melbourne, and would jump on her horse to collect the mail from the docks,” says Atiwill.
“Many of the original insides of the property have been tampered with over the years, which is a great shame,” says Atiwill. “But we do still have the old phone box out the front and the original post office boxes in our front wall.”
“Because of what we do professionally, importing vintage bits and pieces from Europe for La Brocante, we are naturally drawn to curious and quirky objects, including houses,” says Atiwill. “Our home is a crazy mix of old bits and pieces, recycled and upcycled pieces, and several vintage European posters. I like a home to have warmth, with interesting collections scattered around the place. I guess our decorating style could be defined as eclectic and homely.”
“The house has a slightly odd shape and mix of rooms,” says Atiwill. “It’s made up of one long cottage, with an entry in the middle. There are three bedrooms to the right and three studies and a guest bedroom to the left. My study is the original post office sorting room, which I adore.”
Step outside the study and you’ll come to a combined lounge-dining area, with a lean-to kitchen and bathroom to the side. The couple found the old cherry wood dining table at a Parisian market. The chandelier, which Atiwill believes dates back to the 1940s, is also French. “I spotted it years ago and adored it immediately,” she says. “We had it rewired to Australian standards and then kept it in a box until we had the right house for it. It suits this place perfectly.”
Step outside the study and you’ll come to a combined lounge-dining area, with a lean-to kitchen and bathroom to the side. The couple found the old cherry wood dining table at a Parisian market. The chandelier, which Atiwill believes dates back to the 1940s, is also French. “I spotted it years ago and adored it immediately,” she says. “We had it rewired to Australian standards and then kept it in a box until we had the right house for it. It suits this place perfectly.”
The couple loves the home’s warm, casual vibe. “Entertaining here is easy and fun. There are always people coming and going,” says Atiwill. “When we lived in the city we used to eat out or get takeaway frequently. Here, we’re forced to cook more often, but it’s been a good thing – with good local produce and wonderful local wine, you can’t go wrong.”
“I find painting quite therapeutic and am always amazed at the transformation a lick of paint can make to a room,” says Atiwill. “We have several fireplaces in the house and all the brick surrounds were painted a dreadful beige when we moved in. We painted the one in the lounge room dark blue, which looks fabulous with Sebastien the taxidermy deer.
“We’re definitely a house of animal lovers. We have Henry the old black lab, Hudson the rescue cat and a very recent addition is Horatio the kookaburra, who now likes to be fed fresh meat morning and night.”
“The kitchen is a crazy old lean-to with probably the worst appliances we’ve ever had, but somehow it works,” says Atiwill. “Having said that, we would quite like to even up the kitchen floor so that it’s less of a downhill run to the stove.”
Kitchen storage consists of open shelving, which the couple transformed from a closed cupboard. “We got rid of the doors and painted it matt black, and it looks gorgeous,” says Atiwill. “Jars of mustards and an old French egg basket can look pretty wonderful if you have the right setting. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to closed cupboards, even when we renovate.”
The couple has put their unique stamp on the kitchen too; lamps made from birdcages hang from the ceiling, alongside old tomato cans.
The couple has put their unique stamp on the kitchen too; lamps made from birdcages hang from the ceiling, alongside old tomato cans.
“I love bringing in various bits from the garden to create an informal flower arrangement. The bigger the better!” says Atiwill.
“One of my favourite parts of our home is the back verandah, which was closed in some years ago,” says Atiwill. “It faces west and the sunsets are spectacular. There are often times when we’ll yell out to one another to come and see the sky.
“I also adore seeing the horizon every day from this spot. I could never move back to the city and not see that sort of view each day.”
“I also adore seeing the horizon every day from this spot. I could never move back to the city and not see that sort of view each day.”
“Tilly’s bedroom was pretty grungy when we moved in, but it’s been greatly improved with a lick of white paint, new curtains and we’ve also filled all the gaps around the old fireplace,” says Atiwill.
“Tilly loves poking her head out the internal window to see what we’re up to in the lounge room. It would have been an external window once upon a time before the verandah was closed in.”
“Tilly loves poking her head out the internal window to see what we’re up to in the lounge room. It would have been an external window once upon a time before the verandah was closed in.”
Freestanding furniture adds a homely touch to the family bathroom. “With all of us sharing just the one bathroom, things can get pretty interesting at times,” says Atiwill with a laugh.
The property includes space for a generous workshop-cum-storage area, where the couple keeps the French cards and vintage posters they sell, and where Learmonth restores original images for their own range of wall prints.
“Soon after we moved in we decided that we would like a pool. I didn’t want a massive in-ground pool as our two [then} teenage daughters just wanted a place to chat to friends and sloth around rather than doing laps, and so we decided on a circular, concrete plunge pool from Australian Plunge Pools,” says Atiwill. “It’s been absolutely fantastic. With its view of Port Philip Bay, it’s a pretty nice place to relax with a glass of local chardonnay.”
“There are still some very basic things that need doing around the place,” says Atiwill. “Where do I start? Only half the house is insulated, so we need to do that before summer, but Matt can’t even fit his shoulders through the tiny manhole, so that needs fixing first.
“Then I would love to replace the carpet and incorporate a really dark flooring element. Then there’s the kitchen, the bathroom, adding another loo, the garden… the list goes on. But I absolutely love living here. I feel like I belong here and can’t ever imagine leaving.”
“Then I would love to replace the carpet and incorporate a really dark flooring element. Then there’s the kitchen, the bathroom, adding another loo, the garden… the list goes on. But I absolutely love living here. I feel like I belong here and can’t ever imagine leaving.”
You can follow La Brocante on Instagram at @labrocanteredhill.
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Tell us
What do you love best about this home? Tell us in the Comments section below. And don’t forget to like, share or bookmark this story. Join the conversation.
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Love everything about this warm and inviting family home - absolutely love the pool - how awesome looks like an old water tank - brilliant!