A distinct Beachcomber House in Avalon, one of only 118 existing mid-century homes across the country, has been sold for an undisclosed amount at auction.
The property, which stands on Kevin Avenue, belonged to Helen Thurloe, who has been a proponent of these Bauhaus-style structures as originally designed by well-known architect Nino Sydney in the 1960s. Mr Sydney has been dubbed as the “hero of Australian suburbia” for designing beautiful lifestyle houses on the budget.
Ms Thurloe decided to sell her Beachcomber house after 26 years as she and her partner, David Packer, plan to move and downsize as their children have families of their own as well. She said that it’s time for someone else to enjoy the house, which has been steep with Sydney’s history.
The homeowners once had Mr Sydney visit their place because it was one of his favourite. When Mr Thurloe bought the property nearly three decades ago, the previous owners said that she will have to do some refurbishments. She kept the style of the house intact and added a new kitchen and bathrooms, as well as a suite on the ground floor.
Location was a vital reason for picking this house as it was 10 minutes from the beach and stood on an elevated corner, delivering a gorgeous view of the water. The couple then fell in love with the house’s open plan, glass partitions, and the abundance of light, as it was perfectly fitted for the Australian lifestyle. They also love how the indoor-outdoor transition meshed well.
“Beachcombers sit lightly on the land. Mostly supported by steel posts, they were very adaptable for three-quarter sloping blocks. This was appealing for many Sydney buyers, even those with no particular interest in modernism,” Mr Thurloe said on the website she created for Beachcomber Houses.
The popularity of Beachcomber Homes has remained all these years because its architecture, though originally retro in style, could still modern and functional with a few changes.
