It’s not always easy to spot a hidden gem in real estate, but builder Cameron Keen could see past the superficial flaws of this midcentury home in Adelaide, Australia, when he and wife, Georgy, stumbled across it in 2016. Hiding beneath its asbestos roof and shabby interior was a solid, double-brick shell and loads of potential.

“It was a lucky one—we weren’t really looking in the area,” Cameron says. “It was full of asbestos and termites but we thought, well, the termites can’t get into the hardwood—and they can’t get into double bricks! It had really good bones and a really good vibe about it as an original midcentury house.”

Before: Dining Area

After: Dining Area

Cameron and Georgy initially planned to “just tidy it up,” but as their family grew (they’re now parents to three young children) and the home’s beachside location began to explode in popularity, they realized it made sense to give the house a full overhaul.

“It became viable to spend a bit more money on it,” Cameron explains. “There was no real budget per se—it was more just, ‘hey, let’s build a cool house we like and see how we go.’”

Set on a hillside block, the home had fantastic coastal and city views and pretty good passive design: it captured sunlight through large windows to warm the living space in winter. Cameron, who’s passionate about sustainable design, wanted to double down on these elements with the remodel.

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

“We wanted to keep the heart and soul of the house and retain as much structure as we could,” Cameron says. “The overall idea was for a modern take on a midcentury vibe, and to make it really passive with cross-flow ventilation and limiting the amount of heating and cooling required.”

It took several attempts to get the design right—the first concept was high on sustainability measures but didn’t capture the midcentury feel, Cameron explains. He teamed up with another architect, Damien Chwalisz, who designed an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area that honored the original layout and style, added a second story accessed by a showstopping steel staircase, and capped it with a butterfly roof angled for solar panels.

Although it meant gutting the house, Cameron was able to repurpose a lot of materials, either by reusing them in the house or recycling them in other building jobs, to reduce waste. They also retained a solid stone wall in the living area that played a key role in influencing the interior palette.

Before: Stone Fireplace

After: Stone Fireplace

When it came to the interior concept, Cameron and Georgy turned to a friend and colleague: Kate Harry of design studio Fabrikate, who frequently engages Cameron’s construction company for projects.

“We have a lot of synergy. There was just a lovely connection personally as well as professionally,” says Harry, adding that the couple gave her a loose brief but otherwise trusted her creative vision.

“Cameron and Georgy are very relaxed people; the home had to be robust so that their kids could love it without having to be precious within it,” Harry says. “The sense of place was also important—they absolutely love their view.”

Before: Kitchen

After: Kitchen

Harry took cues from nature in designing the interior, leaning into soft greens inspired by the trees at the skyline and embracing the earthy tones of the internal stone wall. “I wanted rich colors in this home because it’s up on the hill and it’s got all of the views, so I wanted it to feel grounded in place,” she explains. “We also wanted to keep it as simple as possible. The materials and the view were paramount in how we designed things like the joinery and bathrooms. There’s no fuss; they’re very clean, simple, and definitely informed by the modernist era.”

After: Play Zone

Early on, Harry floated the idea of a timber paneled wall in the living room, although it was cost prohibitive—so she was delighted when Cameron called with an exciting update: He had salvaged 700 linear meters of ramin timber, an Indonesian hardwood, from another midcentury home, saving it from the scrap heap. “He rang me and said, ‘I’m on site and I’ve got this timber and it’s incredible, can we use it?’ I said, ‘Absolutely.’”

After: Lounge Room

The timber’s golden tones blend perfectly with the American oak joinery in the living room, while the paneling echoes the vertical lines of the steel staircase that soars over the space. “The staircase is almost like a modernist sculpture in itself,” says Harry.

After: Staircase

Practicality for the young family was key. Georgy loves to cook, so Harry ensured the kitchen is both functional and beautiful while allowing a direct sightline to the kids’ play zone. In the bathrooms, Japanese textured tiles look and feel luxurious, while nib walls offer a low-maintenance alternative to glazing.

Before: Bathroom

After: Bathroom

Cameron and Georgy had planned an expansive parents’ retreat with an en suite and lounge area for the second story. But during the renovation Georgy fell pregnant with their third child, so they added an extra bedroom that can also be used as a playroom or creative space (there are two more bedrooms on the first floor).

Before: Second Story

After: Primary Suite

The impending arrival of their youngest child helped Cameron focus on the finish line. “We were working on it for nearly two years and living with two kids in a one-bedroom granny flat in the backyard,” he says. “Then we had a home birth in the living area about one week after it was finished!”

Now, it’s the open-plan living room that the family enjoys the most. “Sitting in the front lounge with the filtered light is just beautiful,” Cameron says.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

More Before & After stories:

A Crafty Remodel Recasts a Dreary Kitchen as an Inviting Jewel Box

16 Impressive “Before & After” Renovations in Australia

A Vibrant Revamp Tunes Up an Australian Bungalow for a Family and Their Pets

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Damien Chwalisz

Interior Design: Fabrikate / @fabrikate_creative_spaces

Builder: Keen Construct / @keenconstruct

Structural Engineer: Marco Zanatta, MQZ