This charming Braddon home is Walter Burley Griffin's dream come true

It’s a house exactly as Canberra’s architect intended.

Braddon was one of the suburbs to be laid out in Walter Burley Griffin’s competition-winning design for the capital city, and with its 1920s form, red-tiled hipped roof and front porch, 28 Doonkuna Street captures his dream of ordered rows of workers’ cottages laid out on the natural bush landscape to a T.

And it’s now open to expressions of interest.

Home.by holly real estate agent Holly Komorowski says the current owners bought the four-bedroom, two-bathroom family home in 2016 and enlisted the expertise of award-winning architect Hugh Gordon to renovate it in a way that didn’t trample on the old-world charm.

“The attention to detail has resulted in a robust and luxurious modern family home, full of joy and beauty,” she says.

“For example, there was a flat-roof extension but they’ve married it to the roof line to look like the original.”

She says the result is an enduring and distinctly Canberran design, from the sash windows and doors at the front portico to the red bricks on the driveway and patio area.

The 910 square-metre property is tucked among the trees, opposite the Sulman Gardens nature reserve that gives this area its name of Canberra’s ‘Garden City’.

Fenced by double rows of hedging, Holly says it felt both concealed and connected when she approached it for the first time.

“I love the north-facing aspect so the central chef’s kitchen runs through the spine of the home,” she says.

The kitchen is studded by a central long island bench, lit from above with pendant lights that blend modern with rustic. The same style lights up the rest of the house too.

“And it has a beautiful bench seat (with added storage) so you can sit and engage with those in the kitchen, or – of course – look out to the lovely garden through the bay window,” Holly adds.

The living room branches off the kitchen, bringing those same views with it.

Not even the bedrooms miss out, especially the master, with its built-in wardrobes, ensuite with a shower and double-length vanity, and easy access via a sliding door to the backyard.

One of the bedrooms adds a feature brick fireplace, while another would make an ideal work-from-home office.

A luxurious bathtub is nestled in the main bathroom, with large floor-to-ceiling glossy tiles. Both bathrooms include underfloor heating.

Holly says the house has received excellent engagement in the past few weeks and visitors are stunned by the quality of the renovation.

“It’s very hard to fault at all – the quality and amenities they’ve created, not to mention the location,” she says.

“No one can believe how central and accessible this place is. You would imagine the city to be a noisy place, but it’s actually a really quiet spot.”

Expressions of interest are due by 25 August, unless it’s sold first.

To arrange an inspection of 28 Doonkuna Street in Braddon, contact Holly Komorowski on 0434 973 987 and check out Canberra’s hottest listings at Zango.