Home renovation ideas: Grand Designs Australia’s Greenwich ‘Art’ – Australia’s most polarising home

It’s the home, and pool, that is polarising the suburbs and the owners admit people can’t help but stop and stare. So it is fantastic or is it a flop?

Everyone loves a backyard pool right? Perhaps not this one.

At the very least this incredible Greenwich pool, part of a radical renovation of a gorgeous harbourside heritage home is polarising opinion.

Owners Dion and Turi always had brave plans to update their home. So much so it caught the attention of celebrated architect and host of Foxtel’s Grand Designs Australia Peter Maddison, and features on an upcoming episode of the hit TV show.

It’s the pool and home dividing the suburbs. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

Even the owners aren’t sure about the pool. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

No disagreements about the view though. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia/Katherine Lu

We recently put together the ultimate list of Australia’s 100 Cool Pools, for inspiration, ideas and even a little pool envy and it caught our eye too.

It might be the most polarising home and pool ever featured on the show.

The couple wanted to preserve the wonderful Edwardian character of the home while adding a new wing, including a ramped gallery, a floor to ceiling glass-walled pavilion and a brightly coloured lap pool that runs through the middle of the home.

Very ambitious in nature, the build turned out to be the longest Grand Designs Australia has covered with Dion and Turi beginning filming with Peter over seven years ago.

And at times, those involved feared it may never be finished.

“Getting the balance right between what is old and what is new without compromising a design takes empathy, imagination and some might say an artistic eye,” Mr Maddison said.

The ‘challenging’ facade hints at what is to come. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

The pool runs right under the house. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

From any angle. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

“Some works take a lifetime to complete but if you’re building a home for you and your family surely time is of the essence. You can’t procrastinate forever, can you?”

The almost soporific atmosphere of the nearby harbour belieing the extended, laboured, anxiety-ridden state of the build which looked over it.

The pool is the remarkable centrepiece of the home with a sloping bridge hanging over it which leads to the new wing.

The challenging look and design of the one-in-a-million pool sums up the project as a whole. The front of the house itself is a combination of old and new.

“We are really happy with how it has come up, there was a lot of work to do,” Turi said.

Mr Maddison was stunned by what the couple had achieved.

The kitchen plays it safer. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

The old and the new combine again upstairs. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

“There is nothing normal about the building,” he said.

“It has a lovely connection to the past and tugs at the heartstrings. As for the new part, you look at that and wonder what is going on there. That’s a good thing because it challenges people.”

“You would not believe how many people stop by on their walk and stop and stare,” Dion added

That challenging facade gives way to an even more curious design inside, the lime green pool.

The front of the house is intriguing with good reason … my God, what a statement, this is super dramatic,” Mr Maddison said when seeing the completed pool for the first time.

It’s definitely interesting. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

Even the owners are unsure about what to make of their new body of water.

“We’re not sure about the colour of the water now,” Turi said.

“We weren’t sure how the depth of the pool would affect the tiles on the bottom,” Dion added.

“At the moment it is perfect.”

At the moment it is very brave too.

“It’s bold, robust and so different. You need a medal for bravery here,” Mr Maddison said.

“Why not? Just go for it.”

Made your mind up yet? Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

Readers can make their own minds up.

Greenwich ‘Art’ features on episode 6 of the current series of Grand Designs Australia, Wednesday May 5 at 8.30pm on Foxtel’s Lifestyle channel.

The home is quickly becoming a Greenwich icon. Picture: Foxtel/Grand Designs Australia

Grand Designs Australia, Wednesdays at 8.30pm on Foxtel’s LifeStyle channel.

Originally published as Home renovation ideas: Grand Designs Australia’s Greenwich ‘Art’ – Australia’s most polarising home