Original art deco home of Betts shoe empire family for sale in Perth for $3m-plus

With a room just for shoes, a converted ballroom and a wine cellar known as the Pinot Room, the Menora mansion once owned by the family behind the Betts shoe empire is on the market, showing off all the splendour of days gone by.

With its art deco opulence and furnished with Gatsby-inspired decor, the Breckler Mansion, at 19-21 Alexander Drive near Edith Cowan University, combines the glamour of a bygone era with modern conveniences.

The six-bedroom home, on an 1822-square-metre block on two titles, was constructed by prominent inter-war designer and builder Horace Costello in 1937 for the Breckler family, who began their iconic WA footwear business in the 1890s.

The art deco Breckler house, the original home of the Betts shoe empire family, is for sale in Alexander Drive, Menora. Photo: Supplied

Along with Spanish mission and Georgian revival, the art deco style had a big influence on Australian architecture from around 1918 until World War II.

Like many art deco houses of the era, the Breckler mansion has a red-brick exterior embellished with art deco shapes and motifs and is set on a big parcel of land.

The property, which has been classified by the National Trust, is listed with Acton Mount Lawley and buyers are sought in the $3 million range.

The shoe room is a fitting testament to the original owners of the house. Photo: Supplied

“Upstairs, the enormous Great Gatsby-style proportions of what is essentially the fourth living area can be attributed to what was the original ballroom, once upon a time,” agent Carlos Lehn says in the property listing.

With high decorative ceilings, jarrah floorboards and leadlight windows, the home – which last changed hands in September 2014 – has more than 800 square metres of living space over two levels.

Inside, the house has many more art deco hallmarks including motifs in ceilings and cornices.

The door to the wine cellar. Photo: Supplied

Original sliding doors link the elegant lounge to a games room, the formal dining room opens to a courtyard, and an open-plan living and meals area sits adjacent to the U-shaped kitchen with its wall of marble and leafy outlook.

A wine cellar — named the Pinot Room — is accessed via the study.

In a fitting nod to the retail business of the original owner, there is even a dedicated shoe room for the ground-floor main suite.

The former ballroom opens to the balcony. Photo: Supplied

The original ballroom upstairs has been converted into another main suite with a raised bed platform and a comfortable living area with front balcony access.

Out the back, a summerhouse is the perfect place to relax, overlooking the art deco-style pool.

Russian Yoel Breckler founded Breckler Brothers, a boot repair shop in Fremantle, in 1892.

The main bedroom was also once part of the ballroom. Photo: Supplied

The family’s first shoe shop opened in Hay Street, Perth, in the 1920s. Betts is now operated by the fifth generation of the Breckler family and has more than 100 stores around Australia.

The Breckler house is one of many significant examples of art deco residential architecture in Perth, including Subiaco’s Attunga Flats, Como landmark Blue Waters and Chisholm House in Dalkeith.