Step into this designer's pastel-coloured vintage daydream

• Owners: Lara Ivachev and Adrian Tseberg
• Project timeline: January 2023-October 2023
• Highest cost: Kitchen including appliances – $65,000
• Where the most money was saved: Completing the majority of work themselves, excluding specialist trades such as electrical and plumbing.
• Reno highlight: Reusing the original window and bricks to enclose the sunroom, then installing large vintage doors to connect it to the main house.

Here’s a spoiler for this story: when the Melbourne market says no, another state might just wink and say, “Come on over.”

For designer and vintage collector Lara Ivachev and her partner Adrian Tseberg, that invitation came from across the Bass Strait.

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After two years of house hunting in Melbourne during the COVID lockdowns – endless inspections, rising fatigue and nothing quite clicking – the couple were ready for a reset.

On a whim, they turned their attention to Hobart. Within a week, they’d mapped out suburbs, shortlisted properties and booked flights.

Then, the night before they left, a new listing popped up: a 1935 Californian bungalow with a mid-century granny flat out the back, perched high on a hill.

“As soon as we pulled up to the house, I was instantly blown away by its grand street presence and couldn’t wait to get inside,” Ivachev says.

“Walking through the old, tired front door into those huge rooms with vintage wallpaper, I knew I wanted it. Everything about it screamed potential. It had such a solid foundation and base to work with.”

The home had belonged to one owner for more than 50 years, and some rooms were almost untouched since the 1960s – zesty walls, patterned carpets and decorative details suspended in time.

A place waiting for someone to love it back to life.

“Because we bought in between lockdowns, we couldn’t move or work on it properly, so we did a light renovation first,” Ivachev recalls.

“We removed the carpets, polished the Tasmanian oak floors and painted the walls white – refreshed enough so we could rent it out until we were able to relocate.”

When they finally made the move, they renovated in stages, completing the granny flat first so they had a functional base while the main house remained a construction zone beyond a closed door.

“We spent about six months living in the granny flat before the kitchen, bathroom and living areas in the main house were functional,” Ivachev says.

“Most of the heavy lifting was done by us – demolition, plastering, repainting, restoring old bricks – which made the renovation cost-effective but also incredibly hands-on.”

From there, Ivachev began shaping the interior with intention.

She visited the state archives to learn about the home’s history, wanting her design choices to honour what had come before.

A near-daily op-shopper, she sourced pieces slowly – choosing colours first based on mood, then layering texture, nostalgia and warmth into each room.

“My studio is tucked into a bay window among the treetops where the light moves across the room all day,” Ivachev says.

“But the kitchen is my favourite. Designing this space right down to the brass handles and mint-coloured marble was pure joy. You can’t not be happy when you’re cooking in this dreamy space.”

Meanwhile, the mid-century granny flat evolved into a boutique Airbnb and photoshoot location known as Summer’s End – a pastel escape loved for its playful, slightly Wes Anderson energy.

“I call the front of the house the grown-up version of Summer’s End,” Ivachev says. “The front was built in 1935 in a classic Californian bungalow style, and the back was built in the ’60s in a mid-century style.

“I love the clear divide of eras – but also how they connect through colour and nostalgia.”

These days, the home is full of life. Their toddler often “redecorates” with toys and kitchen utensils, and dinners with friends tend to run late.

It feels happy, lived-in and exactly as intended.

“My advice to others who are renovating but worried about playing it safe is to just go for it,” Ivachev says.

“Honestly, who wants to live in a boring white house? Make a home that makes you happy rather than worrying about resale or what the next owner wants.

“Life is short – paint that wall a fun colour.”