Dating from 1901, this inner-city Wellington cottage was originally two flats. Later converted to a single dwelling, the interior was worn out and the outdoor space underutilised.

Neither space nor budget allowed for making the house any larger, so the challenge was to make much more of what was available. The planning was treated like an apartment, with compact but very well designed and finished spaces. Within the existing footprint we fitted an ensuite bathroom, a walk-through wardrobe, and a more functional kitchen. A near-useless hallway/study became a full third bedroom.

The owner wanted a sheltered, all-weather outdoor area for entertaining, with good connections to the kitchen and living/dining areas. We worked closely with our engineer to design a finely-detailed, glazed timber framed canopy over a new deck. Large bifolding doors allow the dining space to be opened right up and heating and lighting allow year-round use.

The kitchen includes a generous pantry and laundry hidden behind pocket doors. A bifolding window allows the sinkbench to be used from inside or out, and is mirrored by the ‘garden bar’ that was added to the old garden shed. The owner commissioned the artwork in neon. We designed the open shelving to display recipe books and interesting objects.

The fully-tiled bathroom and ensuite make the most of the high ceilings, with gunmetal finished tapware and timber accents.

The owner’s growing collection of colourful art and objects and thoughtfully chosen furniture has made this a complete and successful project.

Collaborators:

• Interior designer: Wall St Designs
• Structural engineer: Dunning Thornton Consultants Ltd
• Contractor: Namloc Build Ltd

Photography credit: John Wright