We transformed a poky early 1900s Annandale terrace into a spacious, contemporary home. Before the renovation, the ground floor living area was cut off from the backyard by a laundry cum bathroom, and the bedrooms and windows were tiny. We wanted to design a living area that connected to the backyard to create one large space, making them both feel bigger. We started by clearing the whole space out and used a step down from the kitchen to the living area to create a greater volume and a tall aperture to the garden, with a set of full-height glass doors. Coupled with the skylights, they give this part of the house a lightness and beautiful atmosphere. These doors lead out to a deck overlooking gardens designed by our good friend Michael Bates, from Bates Landscape. We added a guest WC under the stairs, and a bathroom upstairs and extended both levels to create larger rooms. Due to the small size of the house, we added storage nooks wherever we could in the bathrooms.

Project Type: Major renovation, planning, development, design and construct
Location: Annandale
Architect: Ballast Point
Project Value: Undisclosed
Status: Complete
Completion: October 2021

Photography: Murray Fredericks