Seamlessly bridging the grandeur of yesteryear with the sophistication of today, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 29 Albert Street has been lovingly updated and restored by the family who has owned the property for 30 years.

With a dream of capturing the character of her much-loved family home and enhancing it to its full potential, Amber Chahin and her husband, Ibrahim purchased the property from Amber’s family and got to work renovating and restoring it.

“It was always my wife’s dream to do it up,” Ibrahim says. “We didn’t want to change the character of the home or anything, we just brought it back to its glamorous, Victorian style.”

Amber and Ibrahim work in the building and landscaping industry, running their business Saladin Tree Solutions, and therefore appreciate the need to respect a home’s heritage.

Recruiting the help of the Gagliardi Brothers to restore the home’s facade, the property now boasts impeccable period pieces including leadlight windows, ornate architraves, heritage chandeliers and ceiling roses.

The facade is enhanced by the retained front yard, a tireless effort by Ibrahim that has resulted in a level front yard landscaped with mature magnolias, lavender, native rosemary and viburnum hedging.

An extension was added to the home 25 years ago, and the couple has enhanced this space to make their mark on the property.

“That is where we did our own little touch, while still keeping in touch with the home’s Victorian heritage,” Ibrahim says.

“We added the parquetry flooring and added an Italian marble island that had to be craned in because it weighed over two tonnes,” Ibrahim says.

“The kitchen is where everything happens. All the baking happens on the island and the kids will help out making cupcakes.”

The home’s cellar has been expanded by the couple, transformed into a brick-clad haven where Ibrahim likes to unwind after a long day.

“I turn my coffee machine on, have my short black and throw some darts. I will catch up on my work and play some Elvis quietly in the background and it is like a home away from home,” Ibrahim says.

With the house restored to its former glory, Amber, Ibrahim and their three young children take every opportunity to entertain family and friends.

“We love to entertain because we have such a big family,” Ibrahim says.

“The no-through-road means everybody can park with no hassle and the kids can run off to the park behind the property and run amok.

“We host every event at this house, from Christmas to Easter; every excuse to put on the fireplace and crank up the barbeque for guests.”

This fireplace is the pride and joy of the yard, handcrafted by Ibrahim using original bluestone and clay that was taken from the villa during the extensions.

“I started looking at ideas and prints before deciding I was going to design my own fireplace, so I sat down with my daughter who loves drawing,” Ibrahim says.

“We drew the fireplace and then I built it and she says, ‘Dad, that is exactly what we drew’. I told her, ‘See, everything starts from an idea and if you really want it, you can make it happen’.”

“Now, everything she wants in life she draws and pops it into her drawer. I don’t know if her unicorn is going to become real, but she has drawn lots of them.”

As much as they adore the home, Amber and Ibrahim feel it is time to move on and let a new generation take over the property.

“I really hope somebody else will come and love this home because you can honestly have generations create stories living here,” Ibrahim says.

The sale is being handled by Grant Giordano and Sharyn Yelland of Giordano & Partners Luxury Real Estate.