71 Wakefield Avenue, Ainslie ACT 2602

Perhaps it's the double-brick, the white-washed walls, but there is a peace, a gentle joyousness, as delicate rooms flow each-to-each. The original timber floorboards have been recently polished, and glow golden as soft light graces the home. Large timber muntin windows frame magical gardens at every turn, creating a storybook feel and a wonderful natural privacy.

Originally built in the 1930s, this idyllic cottage, retains traces of the past, with its airy high ceilings, picture rails, cedar joinery and doors. A sympathetic renovation has enhanced and enriched this heritage three-bedroom home, ideally placed in the heart of the Wakefield Gardens precinct. It is a short stroll through parkland to the much-loved Ainslie shops, moments to both the Dickson and Braddon hubs, and a stone's throw from the CBD.

Crushed granite pathways usher past a feast of colour and texture, as lavender, climbing roses and hydrangeas, bathe in the soft sunlight. It is a wistful opening sequence and a perfect complement to the charming form of the crisp white cottage, with its peaked metal roof, timber windows with ledges painted matt black. A sweet front porch frames the bevelled glass door, the floor pretty in black and white mosaic tiling.

The original fireplace graces one corner of the front living room, creating a beautiful focal point. Perfectly restored and fitted with a new Stuv wood-burning fireplace, it is also a warm hub on cooler nights. There is a nice open flow to the sunlit kitchen combined meals, with its long views across the swell of northern garden.

We love the royal blue cabinetry with brushed brass hardware and the clever way the original kitchen hearth has been retrofitted with modern appliances. There is direct spill to outside from the adjacent laundry/mudroom. There are plenty of considered touches, from the whimsical circular mosaic floor tiling to the framed historic newspaper clippings, salvaged from beneath the original carpets during the recent renovations.

The bedrooms are every bit the light dappled havens, as beautiful windows frame painterly garden scenes. There is a wall of wardrobes within the master bedroom to take care of seamless storage, and enough space to easily accommodate a King size bed. The two additional rooms complete the intimate wing of the home and all centre around a family bathroom, finished in concordant circular mosaics in sea green. A crisp white wall hung vanity marries with the original bathtub, as brushed brass tapware echoes the materiality of the kitchen.

One imagines taking a turn in the gardens as the day begins to cool, wandering past a cornucopia of fruit trees, flowering perennials, stunning natives. There is ample space for the kids to romp and play within the private rear gardens, hedged with mixed shrubs. And so much room for the house to grow, with exciting architectural plans for a beautiful extension already prepared and approved. The addition includes a new living, dining and kitchen, with master wing and ensuite bathroom, making the most of the enormous corner block, engendering a flexible contemporary home that perfectly combines the old with the new.

Famously a part of Walter Burly and Marion Mahony Griffin's original, garden city design, Wakefield Gardens is a quiet loop Street that encircles parkland. The home is within walking distance of the bustling Ainslie shops, home to Edgar's gastro pub, the award-winning IGA and hatted Pilot Restaurant. Moments from the independent restaurants and bars of the Dickson and Braddon precincts, a stone's throw from the city, the location is highly coveted. Many of Canberra's best schools are at your doorstop and the ANU is not far. The home is close to transport, including the light rail which whisks you straight to the CBD.


features.

.beautifully renovated three-bedroom heritage cottage in coveted Ainslie
.sympathetically renovated in 2020
.nestled on a quiet loop street, moments from Ainslie shops
.story book form with muntin windows, metal roof and front porch
.surrounded by beautifully landscaped cottage gardens
.freshly painted in a calming all white scheme
.polished original timber floorboards
.high ceilings, picture rails, cedar joinery and doors
.inviting front living room with restored corner fireplace and Stuv wood-burning stove
.renovated kitchen with banks of cabinetry in royal blue, including full-height pantry, Westinghouse freestanding oven with electric cooktop, Fisher & Paykel dishwasher
.adjacent renovated laundry/mudroom with open shelving and timber countertop
.master bedroom with outlook to cottage gardens and large robe
.two additional bedrooms with leafy views
.renovated family bathroom with bathtub
.electric ducted heating and cooling
.ceiling and under floor insulation
.approved BA for stunning architectural extension that includes living and dining, kitchen and master with ensuite
.enormous block with beautiful landscaping
.charming "stroll" cottage gardens, featuring pomegranate, plum and fig trees combined with flowering perennials and natives
.new garden shed in handsome dark Colorbond
.coveted inner-south locale on quiet loop street within historic Wakefield Gardens
.moments to Ainslie shops
.close to a variety of schools, Braddon, Dickson, and the CBD

FINE DETAILS (all approximate):
Land size: 966 m2
Build size: 90 m2 (approx.)
EER: 3.0
Build year: 1936
Rates: $5,840.83 pa
Land tax: $11,027.56 pa (investors only)
UV: $1,149,000 (2023)
Rental opinion: $790 to $840 p/wk no