A great article by Kerrie Davies, borrowed from The Sunday Telegraph that caught the eye of Ash [Eco NSW].

Known as the Gruzman Estate, the late architect’s (he died in 2005) family home (above) is being auctioned on April 24, with multi-million dollar expectations.

Included are four apartments under the master residence, one of which has been painted with murals by a family friend – with Gruzman’s blessing.

The master residence is a dream home for cashed-up retro enthusiasts.

There are wooden ceilings and glossy, wide timber panelled walls, sculptured stairs, modernist lines, a courtyard with built-in cushions and a pink neon installation by 1960s artist Michael Kitching in the lounge room.

But it is also surprisingly contemporary because of the Japanese elements and emphasis on light. The living room, naturally lit by rows of timber windows and glass doors, was once described by Opera House architect Jorn Utzon as, “the best living room in Australia’’.

“It was such a tactile house. When I came to Neville’s house I’d always run my hand along the foyer stairs’ sculptured handrail,’’ architect Rory Toomey recalls.

“Neville had designed it but he couldn’t find anyone at first who could build what he’d designed, so he had no handrail for two years until he found someone who could build it. When you got to the top of the stairs, Margo (Neville’s wife) and Neville were waiting for you, an elegant elderly couple surrounded by all this radical modern art.’’

Wright influence

Built between 1958 and 1963, with later additions, Gruzman’s home was influenced by the famous American-modernist house Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright and Gruzman’s appreciation of Japanese architecture.

But while certainly a designer of the times, does his house – and other retro homes like it – stand the test of time?

“I think so,’’ says Toomey, who worked for Gruzman for 10 years.

“Modernism was about incorporating the elements, natural ventilation and connecting the inside to the outside. I’m influenced by that, definitely.

“There was a modesty of scale in the mid-century housing. We are building houses now that are double the size of homes in the 1950s, with half the people living in them. When you consider the financial and environmental cost of these larger houses, we can learn a lot from modernism about how to live luxuriously in a smaller space.’’

Retro homes appear more in the northern suburbs where Rose Seidler House, the home architect Harry Seidler built for his parents, is situated at Wahroonga. In Avalon, a memorable 1950s beach house is being auctioned in May.

Defined by its butterfly roof and designed by architect Loyal Alexander as his family home, it was profiled in the 1958 August Australian House and Garden magazine.

The editorial declared: “A break in the roof line at the entrance lets sun and light into the house, and walls of glass and sliding glass doors create space and light to make the house larger.’’

But for all its style, its not quite large enough for the Robson-Scott family, who have lived there for the past six years and plan to go auction next month.

While appreciating the house’s history, Geoff, Mariana and their children were constrained by space, so they built two cabins in the sprawling backyard; one that housed a spare bedroom for Mariana’s late father and an office for Geoff; and the other, a therapy room for Mariana, a Kahuna massage therapist.

They also added large bifold windows and French door opening onto a timber deck to the front. Ironically, in a reverse of family trends, the 1950s Alexander family had only two children, while the Robson-Scotts have four.

As with most retro properties, the kitchen and bathroom that gleamed with ultra-modernism in the 1958 article are now showing age. “A smaller family who like retro could enjoy living here with renovations to the bathroom and the kitchen,’’ Mariana says.

“But we’ve outgrown it, and to be honest, retro was never our style. We bought it for the northeast aspect, garden size and the close proximity to the beach. We meant to renovate and extend, but it is too costly, so we’ve decided to sell instead and buy something else.’’

Historic or History

When dealing with retro houses, heritage orders are rare. The Rose Seidler House is managed by the Historic Houses Trust. Gruzman, too, wanted to bequeath his home to the Trust, but according to Toomey, there ware no extra funds set aside for upkeep, so it never went ahead.

Toomey cringed when he heard a couple discuss knocking down walls during the recent Gruzman estate open house.

“I read an article where the author was fighting to preserve mid-century design. He said a house is most appreciated when brand new, then peoples’ appreciation declines for the next 70 years, where it hits rock bottom. If it survives that, then it is gradually appreciated again, if not more so, for its heritage value.

“I can understand if people want to modify the Gruzman home, and there’s no heritage on it. But if they do, I hope they are respectful to the original design qualities,’’ Toomey continues.

“My nightmare would be if someone came in and plastered everything and painted it beige.’’

Nevertheless he recommends that anyone considering buying or renovating a mid-century house undertake a building inspection as part of due process in buying an older home.

Mark Constantine of Ray White City Precinct, the manager of the Gruzman sale, says Sydney has few heritage orders on mid-century homes and it is common that they need new bathrooms and kitchens.

Simpler times

IF you can’t afford the house, you can have the furniture. Last year, IKEA filled Rose Seidler House with its retro Stockholm range to show it is more than a flat pack.

You can read more about the Rose Seidler display for Ikea here

“Many of the pieces are inspired by mid-20th design, a style characterized, by simplicity, functionality and natural shapes, and a period when Scandinavian designers were highly influential,’’ says IKEA’s Jude Leon.

For those who want an authentic flashback, go to online stores such as 506070.com.au and eBay, auction houses such as Shapiros, markets, and retro furniture stores.

Furniture by Australian designer Grant Featherston and Scandinavian designers are particularly coveted, although the price depends on the designer and the condition.

“Look at lots of chairs, for example, before you buy to get an idea of price, designers and quality,” says Mike Dawborn, the founder of 506070, adding the TV show Mad Men has given people a new look at the best of retro style.

Life and colour

An image from the Florence Broadhurst floral collection of wallpapers

DESIGNER Florence Broadhurst was Sydney’s wallpaper queen until her unsolved murder in 1977 and is regularly remembered or rediscovered by designers.

Copywriter Lisa George found colourful Broadhurst wallpaper in her Double Bay apartment and left a strip of it as a Broadhurst tribute. “Most of Elizabeth Bay was covered in Florence Broadhurst wallpaper,” notes Ray White City Precinct’s Mark Constantine.

Others seek out her designs that have been revived by Signature Prints on limited edition art, fabric, wallpaper, cushions, ottomans, throw rugs, or underfoot in Cadrys handwoven Broadhurst rugs.

“The founder of Cadrys, Jacques Cadry, and Florence knew other,” says director Bob Cadry. “She’d stroll from her studio in Paddington, often stopping along the way to see Jacques, They’d swap stories about her new screenprint designs and his new rugs from the Far East.”

In 2008, Cadrys launched the Florence Broadhurst collection with Signature Prints. “We worked closely with weavers in Nepal. Handwoven gives better texture and movement, so it reflects the energy of her designs. Contemporary design is so minimalist as a whole so Broadhurst is popular again now because it adds life and colour.” A new Florence Broadhurst collection will be launched at the International Furniture Fair, New York, next month.