Andy Lee has given fans a glimpse inside his multi-million-dollar Melbourne mansion – and revealed one quirky feature that holds a special piece of history.
The funnyman, 44, and his partner Rebecca Harding, 35, have spent the last two years painstakingly restoring a 150-year-old derelict home by the Yarra River.
On Thursday, Andy took to Instagram to share photos of their ongoing renovation, proudly showcasing a preserved ship’s porthole window – a relic from the home’s storied past.
‘We’ve found a place for the porthole! ⚓️’ he captioned the post.
‘Seen here on the front of the house, it was installed by the owner in 1939 as a nod to his career in shipping. It sat on the back of the house (which is now the front, as streets have developed). We always wanted to keep it and now it’s the first thing we’ll see as we arrive home, walking from the garage into the house.’
In one snap, Andy beams through the large circular window frame on the construction site, while in another, Rebecca is seen laughing as she points towards the installation.
Andy Lee has given fans a glimpse inside his multi-million-dollar Melbourne mansion – and revealed one quirky feature that holds a special piece of history
On Thursday, Andy took to Instagram to share photos of their ongoing renovation, proudly showing off a ship’s porthole window that has been preserved from the property’s past
The couple have made sure to keep the feature intact despite their extensive rebuild, which has sparked plenty of chatter online.
Earlier this month, Andy was forced to hit back after being slammed over the extravagant design – which includes not one but two mansions connected by a tunnel.
As details of the project were revealed, some critics accused the comedian of ‘losing touch with the common man.’
‘Definitely lost touch,’ one person commented, while another wrote: ‘Geez, how many people are living in this house?’
‘Lost touch with the common man for sure,’ a third added.
But Andy and Rebecca have remained unfazed, continuing to share updates from the lengthy build, which has already taken two years.
Andy hit back at the backlash and explained the couple plans to use the old house as an office.
‘[We have] plans to have an office each upstairs and a guest room on the ground floor,’ he said.
The funnyman, 44, and his partner, 35, have spent the last two years restoring a 150-year-old derelict home by the Yarra River in Melbourne
In one snap, Andy beams through the large circular window frame on the construction site
‘Seen here on the front of the house, it was installed by the owner in 1939 as a nod to his career in shipping. It sat on the back of the house,’ he explained
‘It’s designed so guests can visit but also have their own space.’
In the video posted to Instagram, Andy explained his extensive building plans to fans.
‘A lot of people have been asking what the hell are we doing with this house,’ Andy began. ‘That’s a very good question – I’ve wondered that as well.’
‘Here is a quick take. The main problem was the back of the house is actually its front because they used to arrive by the Yarra.’
He then revealed that the solution to the problem was to build a second house at the back of the original structure, with both houses connected via an underground tunnel.
The couple have made sure to keep the feature intact despite their extensive rebuild, which has sparked plenty of chatter online
‘We need to preserve that and that’s where you’d normally build off for an extension,’ he said.
‘So, the architects had a great idea which was to build a bit further back… so we could have a new building – the river house, a piazza in between, and we can look back at the heritage house.
‘They’ve also created a tunnel between the two so it’s connected.’
As he spoke, Andy shared architectural renders of the finished product and continued to offer details about the new river house.
‘We’ve decided we’re going to clad the newer build with an oxidised copper like the Statue of Liberty, so it’s kind of a greeny-blue and it will feel a lot more warmth and disappear into the sky,’ Andy explained.
He added that the plans had been met with his partner’s approval, saying: ‘Bec just lost her marbles when she saw this.’
Andy and Rebecca have grand plans for their Italianate manor, with the planned renovation worth an estimated $5 million, which began in 2023.
The comedian has been hard at work on the derelict Melbourne mansion, Ravenswood, which he bought for $8.5 million in 2021, undergoing a Block-style rebuild.
The couple won council approval for their development application in June 2023.
Other highlights planned for the 1,950 square metre holding include a home theatre, a gym, a swimming pool and a ‘mega bedroom’.
