This historic building has been transformed into a hidden oasis

A sprawling property in Aberdare, with two historic buildings transformed into a residence and warehouse studio, is on the market.

Philip Drummond, a still life painter and installation artist, Dani Marti, purchased the property on Northcote Street in 2009.

It was an ambitious endeavour to revive the early 1900s heritage-listed building and shopfront to create an artist workspace and transform a second building at the rear into a contemporary, industrial-inspired home.

Set on 1012 square metres, the two buildings centre around desert-style arid gardens with cacti, palms and succulents, and an in-ground swimming pool.

“When we moved in, the building at the back of the block was just a room in terms of there was no roof and no windows, so we spent a whole year refurbishing the property,” Mr Marti said.

“There was a lot of work to be done, but we could see the potential; it is such an amazing property in terms of space.

“What we achieved was having these two buildings looking out to the centre of the garden, so it is very private and almost like a compound.

“It is a great place to make work.”

The property is listed with Chilli Bromage at McGrath Hunter Valley — Cessnock.

“It has a guide of $1.2 million and we have had a lot of interest,” Ms Bromage said.

Positioned on a corner block in Aberdare, two minutes from Cessnock main street and a short drive to Hunter Valley wine country, the building was a significant part of the town’s history.

Mr Marti said it was believed the main building, which retains its grand facade and dates back to around 1918, operated as a co-op market.

The structure at the rear housed a butcher.

These days, the property serves as a space to create art: Philip is a painter, and Marti’s practice combines film, sculpture and installation.

Marti, an internationally celebrated artist who has held solo shows at galleries, including the Maitland Regional Art Gallery, is working on a commissioned piece, Summer Fruits, for the extension of John Hunter Hospital.

The studio includes a mezzanine level, high ceilings and vast open spaces. It also has a self-contained space with a kitchenette, bathroom, laundry room, and bedroom.

At the rear of the property is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house.

The industrial-style design combines functional spaces with exposed timber beams, large windows and polished concrete floors.

The two buildings open out to the established gardens designed for low maintenance.

“There was no garden whatsoever when we moved in,” he said.

“I love the privacy and the sense of creating your own world, and I love the fact we can open both buildings and leave the doors open.

“I’m originally from Spain, and this is a very Spanish sense of how to live, looking into a central garden or courtyard.

“Phil was the one who created the garden; he has the green thumb. It was dead grass, and nothing else was there when we bought the property, and now it looks like an oasis.

“It is like you’re in your own world; you walk out and think, ‘Where am I?’.”

According to CoreLogic, the property was last sold for $260,000 in 2009.