Fabulous Feds

I look at Federation homes and what makes them so fabulously appealing.

I’ve admired Federation homes for as long as I can remember. Being a lover of Australian flora and fauna, a home that has plasterwork rose sprays intertwined on the ceiling is my kind of home!

My In-Laws have lovingly restored and cared for a real Federation gem in Wahroonga and I have a girlfriend who is making it her personal mission to restore and enhance a real darling of the era in Roseville. She views herself as simply the ‘caretaker’ of the property for her lifetime and sees it as her duty to ensure anything she does to the property be true to the original style. Over coffee the other day we talked about Feds and I quized her on various aspects of their design, since she is currently renovating one (thanks Karen!) We both agreed that what we love is the attention to detail in the finishes and all the fabulous spaces available to furnish and truly make your home feel homely and unique.

Federation is a unique Australian style of architecture given to homes built between 1890 and 1920. The homes are quite Edwardian in their design yet have unique characteristics that highlight the affection for Australian nationalism at the time. On the North Shore you will find Federation homes within walking distance to the railway stations as the Railway came through in 1890 and people began building homes in the period shortly following (the Federation period).

In Ku-ring-gai you will find three different styles of Federation home;

1. Federation Queen Anne - Asymetrical and the most feminine and whimsical of the three styles with turrets, towers, dominant chimneys etc.  Often two story.
2. Federation Arts and Crafts - Exposed rafters, dominant roofs, attic spy windows. Stained timber wall panelling etc.
3. Federation Bungalow – Transition between Federation Queen Anne and Californian bungalow. Usually single level, most simplistic design.

“So many of them express a deep love for Australia…Australian motifs can be found in interior plasterwork and pressed metal, in decorative glass and in external ornament of terracotta, cast cement or fret worked timber.” - The federation house – A restoration guide. By Ian Evans.

Arguably the most special features often admired in Federation homes include –

1. The central hall. The central hallway delineates spaces and becomes part of how you welcome people into your home.
2. High ceilings, often 3m give a feeling of grandeur. The height means that residents can enjoy improved insulation and it also can make a tight space seem bigger. Also it means lighting options are endless!
3. Colourful leadlight glass features. Artists have expressed themselves detailing subjects such as ferns and bush lillies. A warm glow of sunlight floods the entrance inviting you in. 
4. Wrap around verandas - embrace the home and firmly fix it to the earth bringing some of the outdoors in.
5. Detailed fine plasterwork with cornices and ceiling roses often displaying Australian native flora and fauna.
6. Paint colours which reflect Australia’s landscape - Accents of dark green and deep earthy browns and reds, walls a shade of biscuit.
7. Corner fireplaces - feature fireplaces in the corner of rooms instead of the centre of walls.
8. Elaborate joinery with external woodwork typically painted in white.

When I'm in a Federation I can't help but imagine all of the old inhabitants from the last 100 years! I think of the times gone past when male and womens daily lives were somewhat segregated, women sewing in a drawing room for instance! The homes were built at a time when people lived far simpler lives and ikea didn't exist, when personal effects were limited but cherished instead of all of the stuff we seem to accumulate and then discard. There is ceratinly something very special about them and I hope that they remain a solid fixture on the North Shore for the next few hundred years.

If you're new to the area or just new to Architecture styles hopefully after reading this article you will have gained some understanding and appreciation of this unique style.