
News Corp Australia Network
Chris Firminger at his renovated Red Hill property, which is up for sale. Photo: David Clark.
It's hard to believe now, but the architectural masterpiece that Chris Firminger and Tijana Jelacic put on the market was once a dilapidated one-bedroom.
Three years ago, the architect and his wife were looking for a new project when they discovered a “run-down” cottage at 35 Houghton Street, Red Hill.
Chris Firminger and his daughter Lena at the renovated Red Hill property. Photo: David Clark.
“As an architect and builder, I always say, 'Show me anything that people don't want to touch, and I think we can solve some of those problems,'” Firminger said. said.
“It was a beautiful site with a small footprint. Even though we kept the original cottage, it was as close to new construction as we could get.”
Furminger said she heard from a neighbor that a family of seven lived in the original one-bedroom house many years ago.
This property at 35 Houghton Street, Red Hill is for sale.
The original house is now a bedroom and main bathroom.
The rest of the home is new and blends seamlessly with the existing home, creating a blend of character and modernity.
Lush gardens surround the house and are visible from most angles of the north-east facing building.
Authentic materials were used to ensure the highest quality construction.
“Wood is wood, stone is stone, concrete is concrete, glass is glass,” Firminger said.
This property is located at 35 Houghton Street, Red Hill and is for sale.
But it wasn't an easy project. Furminger admits it was like a “long-term marriage.”
“It was the worst time to build,” he said. “COVID-19, floods, building materials crisis…but we got through it.”
So why sell now?
“We realized there wasn’t a lot available, so we thought it might be a good time to move forward with the project,” he said. “We also want to find another project to work on.
“This house is really a nice place to live. If it doesn't sell, it will stay.”
The property is on the market with Ray White's Josh Brown and Matt Lancashire.

