A decade-long labour of love transformed a tired weatherboard cottage at Highfields into a living museum using timber and bricks salvaged from historic sites around Newcastle.
Materials sourced from the Fernleigh Track railway line to the Wickham Wool Stores tell a story in each space of the home which owners Frank Da Pozzo and his partner Lyn named 'Hardwood House'.
The four-bedroom, two-bathroom house at 54 Highfields Parade is listed for auction with Teresa Heighington of Ray White Newcastle Lake Macquarie.
"The home has been thoughtfully renovated using a collection of remarkable recycled materials that hold strong historical ties to Newcastle, giving the property a genuine sense of place and history," Ms Heighington said.
The couple bought the house in 2009.
Although Frank, who has a background in the building industry and a passion for recycling and repurposing materials, recognised the home had "good bones", the single-level weatherboard residence required extensive renovations.
"It had good bones but a lot of people said I was mad," Frank said.
"It started a long, laborious process of renovating."
Every space in the house, including the outdoor entertaining area and backyard, showcases reclaimed materials from demolished structures such as bridges, piers and historic buildings.
The owners created a flipbook recording the species of hardwood timber repurposed in the home, detailing the source of each item that was collected and then stored in a warehouse in Wallsend.
"I have a lot of contacts in the building industry and the purpose was to source it, store it and then use it for our home," he said.
"Some of it I've had for 30 years, I've got quite the collection."
From the handcrafted timber handrails on the front deck to the outdoor seating repurposed from old sleepers sourced from the Fernleigh Track, the hardwood timber creates a sense of warmth inside and out.
The floor plan comprises four bedrooms, including the split-level master with an en suite with a timber vanity (using wood sourced from The Wool Stores at Wickham), a freestanding bathtub, a skylight and deck access.
In the kitchen and dining area is a timber breakfast bar and a sliding barn door crafted from timber from the historic Silk House building in Newcastle.
There are three additional bedrooms including one with a custom-built timber desk.
A second living and entertaining area opens to the backyard with an undercover hardwood deck and a built-in concrete outdoor barbecue kitchen.
Landscaped gardens are filled with native Australian plants.
The backyard also has a fire pit area and a separate private studio with custom-built timber shelving and desks.
The owners were hands-on during the renovation process and milled timbers in the workshop downstairs.
While crafting a home with recycled materials is sustainable, it's not the only reason the couple chose to work with reclaimed items.
"When using old timber that is fully seasoned, you have to have really sharp tools because it is hard to work with, but what you get out of it is just glorious," Frank said.
"It's about a passion and a love for timber more than anything.
"What's beautiful about it is it has the history and it is real hardwood. It feels so nice to be in a home where it's the real deal."
The auction will be held on-site on March 28 at 12pm.
According to Cotality, the median house value in Highfields is $1.09 million.
