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When a derelict terrace came to market in 2023, Niko Fotopoulos had a vision.
The now 30-year-old builder and electrician had renovated at least 10 Sydney terraces but this home in Petersham in the inner west would be his first time funding and doing it himself.
“I just saw that I could bring this property to life again and I knew that I could take on that challenge,” the former reality-TV contestant from Love Island Australia said.
To achieve it he went head-to-head with other developers at auction until he secured 4 Robert Street, a 138-year-old terrace that nobody had lived in for a quarter of a century, for $1.51 million.
Post-auction he experienced mixed emotions, wavering from nervousness to excitement about the reality of bringing his vision to life.
“It was a two-storey brick original home with no bathrooms, no bedrooms, and then it had a little fibro extension … it needed a lot of work from the get-go.”
A month of relentless rain occurred during the slab and concrete pour stage, setting him back for this time.
During construction he left two brick walls on either side, the front facade as well as the base of the upstairs floor, so only three standing walls remained.
“There was a lot of demolition … a lot of smashing … a lot of cutting.”
He said while demolition is not his favourite part, “it’s a satisfying part”.
“We opened up all [new] windows on the north-west side … When the sun comes up, this house has a lot of sun,” he said.
Over the years renovating terraces for others, Fotopoulos had built up ideas. He drew on input from friends and family and enlisted an architect and stylist.
“It’s always about restoring the front facade, bringing back that Victorian-style heritage, the wrought iron … and then inside keeping it traditional, maybe the first room also, and then bringing that modern look into life after that.”
He pared it back to a Victorian-style frontage and kept the first room traditional, with high skirtings and big cornices.
There are four bedrooms and three bathrooms upstairs; two bedrooms have their own en suites and one bathroom is shared between two.
Downstairs an open-plan kitchen and living area includes a butler’s pantry and fireplace. This flows out to a landscaped backyard complete with plunge pool, entertaining area and multipurpose studio.
Stylistically, Fotopoulos chose a curved wall designed by Blueprint Designs, which other than being a feature wall also served a dual purpose of fitting an extra bedroom within council guidelines.
Of the Calacatta Viola marble that is threaded throughout the interior he said, “That was an agreement between myself and a friend … It was the statement piece of the house. It was something that we selected together, and with my mum and sister as well.”
Another bold choice was the number ‘1888’, which, long faded over time, was reinstated onto the facade and represents the year it was built.
Fotopoulos said the finished property is “for a family that’s going to be in there and have this for the next maybe another 100 years because it is a high-end home, it is a quality home and it is a very family-orientated home”.
“I exceeded my expectations with what’s there now,” he said, adding that he put more high-end finishes, features and curves into the home as the job progressed.
“What I saw at the start to what it was at the end was completely different.
“We went a little bit over budget … all the high-end finishes, it cost a little more than what I anticipated, but I know that I’ve given the property an immaculate feel.”
Fotopoulos is feeling a range of emotions.
“Accomplished, satisfied, happy definitely and just overwhelmed, but also nervous now, just to get [the] sale, but I know the right buyer will come.”
The inner-west terrace is listed for auction on July 4 with a guide of $2.8 million with Nick Playfair from BresicWhitney Inner West.
Playfair said people who have inspected the property love the transformation.
“It’s incredible, he’s done a really tasteful and high-end renovation,” he said.
“I love the way he has reinstated some of the character into the front of the terrace, and then has this beautiful transition to a really tasteful, modern open-plan area that faces due north.
“It gets all this beautiful light through it and it’s just a really well-balanced house that really isn’t lacking anything.”
