78 Eton Street, North Perth, WA 6006

An original 1936 character home surrounded by mature gardens on 848sqm of land, yet just 3.7km in a straight line from the Perth CBD.

When its plans were approved in February 1936, the building specification included a simple instruction: "All materials to be of best quality and free from all defects." Nearly 90 years later, much remains: old-growth Jarrah floors, three-metre ceilings with decorative plasterwork, stained glass, Jarrah skirtings, the original fireplace and tiled roof. Later additions, including French doors, strengthened the relationship between house and garden.

More recently, the home has been completely rewired and replumbed, with ducted reverse-cycle air-conditioning, ceiling fans and underground power, and the original fireplace has been returned to use as a wood fire. The 1936 character has been retained, with contemporary infrastructure installed. Winter brings the warmth and flicker of a wood fire; summer, open French doors and the movement of the breeze.

Come through the gates and the city begins to recede. Dragon's Blood Trees, palms, bamboo, frangipani and hibiscus create a mature, almost tropical environment that has taken decades to develop. After a demanding day, there is somewhere to decompress: the warmth of the sauna, a long bath beneath views of sky and swaying palm fronds, a drink beside the fish pond, dinner above the water lilies, the sound of the waterfall, or an evening on the front corner terrace as the breeze comes in. This is a home designed not simply to return to, but to unwind in.

When friends arrive, that retreat becomes a place to entertain. French doors connect rooms with courtyards and terraces, while the kitchen opens to two covered entertaining spaces, and drinks beside the illuminated fish pond can lead to dinner in the over-water pavilion. Here, the garden is part of the architecture of daily life. The dining room and second bedroom open to the fish-pond courtyard, the lounge to the front corner terrace, and the kitchen to covered outdoor living.

At the heart of the garden, a substantial swimming pool engineered by Wood & Grieve in 1987 has been reimagined as a water-lily pond with a waterfall and an over-water dining pavilion.

Inside, the generous kitchen combines white cabinetry with Cosmic Black Brazilian granite and mirrored splashbacks that reflect the garden. A new ensuite brings together charcoal-coloured surfaces and warm metallic finishes with handmade Japanese kit-kat tiles in a rich gold shade called Wheat, selected in response to the gold-striped bamboo outside.

The main bathroom takes indoor-outdoor living further still. A narrow 1976 verandah bathroom and adjoining open-air walled garden have been brought together to create a 22.5sqm wellness space beneath a three-metre-high raked ceiling. Skylights frame sky and swaying palm fronds, while tropical planting retains an almost conservatory-like quality. From the bath, look across the water-lily pond towards the over-water pavilion, listen to the waterfall and, after dark, watch the illuminated garden beyond the glass. A four-person sauna, full-length bath, twin vanities set into a carved teak cabinet and generous rainfall shower complete the experience.

The third bedroom, currently used as a home office, has its own external access and carved double timber doors made in Bali, while retaining the flexibility to return to bedroom or guest use. The result feels collected rather than decorated: a house shaped over time by travel, craftsmanship, landscape and the way its rooms are actually lived in.

As evening falls, integrated lighting transforms the garden from front to back, illuminating bamboo, Dragon's Blood Trees, palms and planting around the pavilion, while a submerged light sends reflections from the fish pond across the Black Timor bamboo. The garden doesn't disappear at night; it becomes another way to experience the house.

Beyond the gate, North Perth is close at hand. Kyilla Primary School is approximately 380m away, with the property currently within its local intake area, and the address is also currently within the Mount Lawley Senior High School local intake area. The family-friendly Hobart Street Deli sits opposite the Hobart Street playground, while Chinta, a favourite for breakfast and brunch, is an easy downhill walk from home. North Perth's wider cafe and dining precinct and convenient public transport connections are also nearby. And yet, behind the gates, the experience feels remarkably removed from the city only 3.7km away.

Original character and contemporary comfort, privacy and entertaining, house and garden, city and sanctuary. The original 1936 plans and detailed building specifications survive as part of the home's story, and nearly 90 years later, the next custodian gets to decide what comes next.

PROPERTY PARTICULARS:
Shire Rates: $1,979.60 pa
Water Rates: $1,303.83 pa
City of Vincent

Type

House

Bedrooms

3

Bathrooms

2

Parkings

3

Area

848 m²