The transformation of Mister Brooks, a Victorian Gothic mansion in Newcastle

• Owners: Prue and Andrew Swain
• Project timeline: August 2021-December 2021
• Builder/architect: Bassmann Drafting
• Interior designer: Prue Swain
• Most expensive cost: The pool and traditional plastering
• Biggest saving: Doing the demolition and building the pool themselves
• What would you do differently? Not take on a renovation during a pandemic from a distance!

Prue Swain was out of phone contact with her husband, Andrew, the day they negotiated on a three-storey Victorian Gothic mansion in Newcastle.

An electrician by trade, Andrew was about to head underground at a mine when he cautioned Prue not to “do anything silly”.

When he surfaced that night, Prue gave him the news: they were now the new custodians of the 1870s house – sight unseen.

Come settlement day, Andrew wanted to see the state of the double sandstock-brick house for himself, but Prue stayed away.

“I knew I was in trouble, especially when my dad, who accompanied him, said we should throw a match in it,” Prue says.

“Fortunately, it’s a beautifully solid home that’s stood the test of time – an earthquake, even! The hardwood bearers and joists were mostly all in perfect condition”.

The couple, who have three kids, weren’t in a hurry to start renovating until their sister-in-law, who lives in Newcastle, had a serious accident midway through 2021.

“That got us moving as we suddenly found ourselves in Newcastle a lot,” Prue says.

Prue and Andrew followed the home’s original plans by noteworthy Newcastle architect James Henderson to convert three separate apartments back into one house, making minor adjustments for modern living.

However, living five hours from the site on their farm in Orange proved extremely challenging.

Andrew brought his truck, excavator and a builder from the farm and started by removing 40 tonnes of soil to level the front yard.

The demolition followed, creating a blank canvas to work with.

Andrew owns mining and commercial gear for his own business, and Prue estimates they saved at least $100,000 in demolition, excavation and electrical costs by tackling these big jobs themselves.

Andrew also tiled, did all the electrics and laid the groundwork for the pool installation.

Due to the pandemic, tradesmen were scarce on the ground, but they managed to find the right people.

A local carpenter loved the house so much he knocked on the front door asking for work. He restored all the original windows and doors which were warped, rotting and covered with lead paint.

“He simply refused to throw away the 150-year-old doors and windows,” Prue says.

She also found a traditional lime plasterer by chance.

“Initially, he came to fix a couple of walls but ended up spending two months ripping back every single wall.”

With no access to the rear yard, a $150,000 quote to crane in a plunge pool forced them to think creatively.

In the end, they removed ground-floor walls, pumped in concrete and built their own.

Before everything was bricked back up, a boilermaker friend from Orange installed the outdoor stairs he’d made.

Prue took on the interiors, organising custom bedheads, designing the striking calacatta viola marble kitchen and creating her own paint colours.

She scoured vintage and thrift shops for retro finds, while her cousin custom-made the American oak dining table.

Called Mister Brooks on Brown – after the home’s first owner and one of Newcastle’s first mayors, Thomas Brooks – the gelato-hued house has been magnificently reimagined for the 21st century.

When the family aren’t using it themselves, it’s available for holiday stays and sleeps 12.

Guests love its storied past and its location within strolling distance of lauded eateries, bars and the beach.

“We feel proud we’ve given the house a new lease of life and honoured such an incredible building,” Prue says.