Kesterson House
It’s suspected that the original house was built in 1875, when architect Simon Smith called for tenders from plasterers, plumbers and bell hangers to complete work on behalf of Mr William Kesterson.
Kesterson owned several properties in the area including the Prince of Wales Hotel. After Kesterson died in 1879 his will was contested for the next 50 years. According to his will his properties could not be sold until the death of his last daughter which occurred in 1929. Thus, between 1875 & the mid-1930 the house was managed and tenanted by Kesterson’s executors. The house hosted an array
of colourful tenants over this period; one of the more interesting tenants in the 1880s and 1890s was actor George Richard of Ireland (1834-1913). George Richard was known for acting alongside George Coppin & J C Williamson.
In 1982 the house was purchased by architect Allan Powell and soon became the robust & busy offices of Powell & Glenn Architects. Allan over this period lived next door, in Crigan house which he designed and built. When our clients purchased the house in 2020, they bought with the intention of minor renovations to convert the former office into a home by the bay.
During construction, the existing roof revealed its problematic leaks and the scope of the building works grew to include an entirely new slate roof, the refurbishment of both chimneys and a re-rendering of the façade. All restoration works were done in accordance with Heritage Victoria guidelines and ensured the preservation of the significant building. The street frontage is particularly unique with Powell’s ‘Crigan House’ to the left and the Valma, an art deco block of flats to the right. During construction, we became aware of the St Kilda Heritage walking tour, which occurs every Wednesday. The tour highlights these three properties and was another reminder of our project’s historical significance.
We reused the bricks and predominately maintained the existing footprint whilst
reinterpreting the non-original ‘lean-to’. The living is arranged around a central
garden which is experienced upon entry and throughout spaces within the
house. As the old accepts the new, the new will become less prominent, and we
envision the newly built walls will soon be covered in ivy. We hope that the house
will be ‘better’ with age, ‘better with the ivy’.
The link between the old and new is perhaps the most important element of the alterations. A combination of our client’s appreciation of the ivy and the design challenge of a south-facing backyard brewed the glass link. We envisioned our clients, perched at the island reading the paper with the light from above. On reflection it’s difficult to imagine the project without this link and without the light - the feeling would be completely different.
Throughout the house are elements of surprise. The kitchen internals are lined in an unexpected orange and with the same brush a ladder offers access to overhead storage. The ‘Harry Potter’ cloak room consists of design elements never to be seen together. Scottish tartan represents our clients CLAN, the mirror is also sourced from our client’s hometown. Our clients’ selections are what makes this project unique, it’s the quirks in the house and it’s the personality in the architecture.
