68 Limestone Avenue, Ainslie, ACT 2602

#soldbyholly $2,075,000

Some houses make you feel instantly at ease... cream washed walls and warm timber joinery coalesce with high ceilings and a dreamy unfolding of monastic spaces that soothe and calm.This understated heritage beauty has been lovingly restored and extended to create a light filled, spatial abode, flowing to sunny alfresco living and sparkling pool. Much care has been taken to preserve the soul of this 1930s cottage with its batten ceilings, picture rails and timber sash windows capturing painterly garden vistas.

A tapestry of greenery with upright pops of bright flowering colour as rambling cottage gardens capture your heart from the get-go. The home nestled within ancient shading trees is all roughly bagged render, painted a soft clay with Canberra reds, adding a satisfying contrast. The classic terracotta roof, assemblage of chimneys adds to the story book romance. And there is a lovely Georgian symmetry to the twin columns that frame the sheltered portico. Just a few steps from Haig Park, Coroboree Park and Lonsdale Street, this curated homestead connects you to a vibrant urban lifestyle

Within the colour scheme of white, dove grey, soft eggshell combined with warm cedar, feels light and restful, as timber flooring gleams underfoot. There is a time worn beauty to the double brick walls and a deep insulating quality, lending a peaceful hush. As you wander from room to room you are struck by the paired-back elegance, the timeless craftmanship of recessed cabinetry, intricate fireplaces and banks of crisp white timber sash windows.

A sweeping extension is connected to the original cottage by an elegant study nook with purpose built cabinetry. The cathedral like open living, dining, kitchen opens fully to deck and swimming pool. This welcoming family arena is ornately finished in keeping with the original cottage yet feels inescapably modern, saturated with northern light and inspired by the grandeur of the natural surrounds.

The kitchen looks every bit at home in one corner with its country feel, preserved original hearth and mantle. A floating island and breakfast bar fosters family togetherness while banks of cabinetry including a step-in pantry takes care of storage. There are appliances from Smeg and sleek black stone worktops.

The original cottage houses a multitude of flexible spaces that merge seamlessly with a further extension, adding a master wing with ensuite and wall of robes. A calm formal living room captures weeping birch trees and sits adjacent to a home office or fifth bedroom.

Three additional bedrooms, all with built-in-robes are amenable to a family bathroom with royal claw foot tub, reclaimed from Government House, and rumoured to have been enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth during her stately visits!

There is a lovely immersion within the rhythms of nature as the home effortlessly connects to various alfresco settings, taking in towering pines, elms, flowering crab apple, camelias, crepe myrtles and magnolias. Clipped hedges privatise and enclose as paths meander past weeping Japanese maples, irises, belladonna lilies, arch twined with aromatic sweet peas.

This stunning home is and easy stroll to the independent eateries, shops and bars of the dynamic Braddon precinct. Surrounded by green spaces including Haig Park, Coroboree Park and Mt Ainslie Reserve the home is also handy to Dickson and the popular Ainslie shops hosting IGA, Edgar's pub and hatted restaurant, Pilot. Close to transport including light rail, providing fast links to all of Canberra, the home is a stone's throw from the ANU and the CBD.

features.

.elegant five-bedroom heritage Ainslie cottage, beautifully renovated and extended
.two living areas, two bathrooms and study nook
.extensive cedar timber joinery, high batten ceilings, picture rails and original fireplaces
.cypress pine and spotted gum flooring
.bevelled glass timber doors
.large welcoming foyer with coat closets
.bright formal lounge overlooking weeping silver birch, original red brick fireplace and timber mantel and twin recessed cabinets
.sweeping open living, dining kitchen with bi-fold doors opening fully to north facing deck and pool
.automatic blind shading alfresco decking
.study nook with built-in-cabinetry
.powder room
.large kitchen with banks of cabinetry including step-in pantry and small appliance bay, central island with breakfast bar, marble benchtops, original hearth, Smeg oven and grill, Smeg gas hob, rangehood and dishwasher
.internal laundry with storage
.home office/fifth bedroom with mirrored twin recessed sideboards and fireplace
.bedroom one, double sized with built-in-wardrobe
.bedroom two with northern light and built-in-robe
.bedroom three with built-in-robe, open curved shelving and north facing light
.enormous master bedroom with built-in-robe and ensuite in Victorian design with soft hues
.family bathroom with Victorian "royal" claw foot bath
.linen cupboard
.barbecue area with plumbed gas
.salt water pool with heat pump
.ducted gas heating
.ducted electric cooling
.double carport and single garage with storage bay and original timber barn doors
.loads of under house storage
.front garden with weeping silver birches, roses, azaleas, clipped hedging, irises, delphiniums, gladioli, iridescent flowering thyme as ground cover
.rear private gardens with stunning array of mature sheltering trees, beautifully landscaped with a kaleidoscope of flowering exotics
.easy stroll to Corrobboree and Haig Parks, the wonderful Braddon precinct and the much loved Ainslie shops
.a stone's throw from the ANU and the CBD

FINE DETAILS (all approximate):

Land size: 1252 m2
Build size: 257 m2 (approx.)
EER: 1.0
Zoning: RZ1

Build year: 1937

Rates: $6,170.05 pa
Land tax: $11,715.24 pa (investors only)
UV: $1,197,000 (2023)

Rental opinion: $1300 p/wk