Antares is the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation, and now a house of the same name in Hawthorn is proving to be a bright star on the real estate horizon.

The classic Victorian with lace-trimmed verandah comes with a huge renovation by Canny Builders.

Those on the real estate circuit recognise Canny Builders’ hallmarks — large rooms, big casual living areas, a premium on indoor-outdoor living, and top- quality finishes with neutral tones and earthy colours.

Owners Pat and Nikki Short say they will miss the “entertaining factor of the house”.

“When all the doors are open you can fit masses of people in the house,” says Nikki. “The garage doesn’t look like a garage, so we can set up trestle tables and have sit-down dinners in summer for 30.

“I’ll miss the big open rooms at the back, and the amount of light. The backyard is also wonderful for children.”
The renovation, now three years old, retains the original structure of central hail with four rooms off it. Some rooms have been re-jigged, and there’s a huge new informal dining, living and kitchen area with bi-fold doors to a bluestone-paved patio and outdoor living.
A new upper storey includes a teenage retreat with a balcony, two bedrooms or a bedroom and a study, plus a bathroom.
The 930-square-metre block provides a two-tier back garden with a water feature, then steps down to a lower level with a playground and a large rectangular back lawn.

The front verandah has classic black and white tiles that Nikki sourced to replace broken red and yellow ones.
The hall with ceiling roses is wide, with rooms ranged to left and right. The first two front rooms are bedrooms, both with Victorian open fireplaces and plantation shutters.

All the rules go out the window in the children’s rooms, where colour feature walls look fantastic. The boy’s room is blue, with two other rooms having pink and light-green feature walls respectively.

Both have white voile curtains, while the pink room also has a gorgeous bay window overlooking the side lawn,
The master bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe and a large en suite with a double vanity in a stone benchtop. A family bathroom repeats the stone and neutral colours.

Four steps at the end of the hall go down to the massive open-plan living and dining room. The kitchen with its stone island bench is at one side, while the dining area is in a recessed alcove. At the other end of the space, a built-in entertainment unit holds equipment.

The kitchen is big, with a glass splashback, a very large walk-in pantry and a laundry off it. The living area is large enough to have a wrap-around L-shaped couch.

The north-facing back wall of the house is made up of central concertina cafe-style doors and floor-to- ceiling windows. This provides the indoor-outdoor living that people now want.

Stairs at the side of the family room go up to the first floor, past long highlight windows. Finishing touches include lights on the staircase.

The stairs open to the teenage retreat, which has room for a television and couches, and bi-fold doors to a balcony with a northern aspect.

Off the retreat are two rooms, both large with built-in wardrobes, although now one is configured as a study. The bathroom on this level mirrors the other two bathrooms with its colour scheme and use of stone.

Renovated for today, it’s a look that should ensure Antares shines brightly in Hawthorn for years to come, mwm

At a glance

7 Austin Street, Hawthorn
BEDROOMS: Four.
BATHROOMS: Three.
LIVING AREAS: Informal, indoor and outdoor.
THE REST: Teenage retreat, great outdoor living spaces, open fireplaces, contemporary design, study, double garage, ducted heating and cooling, ducted vacuum, security system and videophone entry.
PRICE: $1.9 million plus.
AUCTION: August 5 at noon.
AGENT: Kay & Burton, tel: 98201111.