Sculptor finds his unique Camperdown house hard to part with

Here’s the thing about houses. Get your hands dirty in the design and build, load them up with enough of your own unique personality and then love them for the joy they provide on a daily basis and it can be ridiculously hard to let them go.

Owner Lee Tunks​ is torn between city and country life, with a Murrumbateman acreage demanding his attention. The architectural steel fabricator and sculptor is justifiably proud of his Camperdown home, built in collaboration with architect Rebecca Cleaves, sandstone sculptor Michael Purdy​ and interior designer Olga Gruzdeff​.

With a brief to work with plenty of raw and recycled materials, many taken from the timber cottage originally on the site, the team created a house that celebrates texture, connects with the outdoors and honours its history.

The facade is a clue to the creativity you can expect throughout the property. The feature sandstone entry wall is the work of Purdy​, an award-winning sculptor who regularly exhibits at Sculptures by the Sea (Tunks​’ steel sculptures have also been featured).

Its curve is echoed in the tear-shaped, covered balcony upstairs, formed by Tunks​ from one sheet of steel salvaged from a former Danks Street factory. Tunks​ also made the pivoting front door and the sliding glass doors that wrap around the dining room at the back of the property.

The steel portal beams were recycled from a Seven Hills factory and provide both structural integrity and a beautifully aged, aesthetically pleasing element on all three levels of the house.

Timber from the facade and ceilings of the old cottage on the site creates a character-packed feature wall in the lounge room and in the upper-level bathroom, where a glossy, free-standing enamel bath provides a wonderful contrast.

Many of the recycled bricks hail from the old Fowler factory, now defunct, while the timber handrail for the steel steps is made from the internal studs of the old cottage.

Polished concrete floors unify the living spaces and provide a neutral setting for the play of materials in the gas kitchen.

The warm tones of the timber veneer cabinetry are balanced by the smooth, white Corian​ encasing the island bench and the dark display shelving on the opposite wall.

A very private back garden offers space for outdoor dining on a combination of sandstone and spiral brick pavers. There is rear-lane access for secure off-street parking and you’ll also find established, raised vegetable beds and colourful graffiti  art by Tunks’ brother.

There’s an impressive level of detail in this home, and a good dose of Tunks, the reluctant vendor, in the very fabric of the building.

The owner says: “I love the way the history of the place has been honoured and taken into the new century. Every minute detail has been considered.”

Room for improvement: Commission Lee to make the steel entry gate he envisioned for the property.

132 Salisbury Road, Camperdown
About $1.85 million
3 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 2 car spaces
Built 2010
Land 223 square metres
Inspect Sat, 3pm-3.40pm; Wed, 6pm-6.30pm
Auction November 28
Agent Richardson & Wrench Newtown, 0419 694 987

Need to know:
Last traded for $171,000 in 1996.
Highest recorded house price in Camperdown (past 12 months) $4,275,000 for 31 Australia Street in March 2015
Median price for houses $1.32 million

Recent sales:
$1.87 million for 24 Rowley Street in August 2015
$1,885,000 for 19 Fowler Street in June 2015
$1.9 million for 3 Kingston Road in May 2015
Source: Domain Group

Surrounding area:
Home to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney University and an eclectic mix of Victorian architecture, warehouse and factory conversions and old and new apartments, Camperdown is popular with students and medical staff. House prices rose 12 per cent in the 12 months to September, while unit prices recorded an increase of 13 per cent over the same period. 
Serviced by bus, with a proposal for a light-rail stop at Sydney University as part of the Sydney Metro project.
It’s only four kilometres to the city and close to the vibrant communities of Glebe and Newtown.