Contemporary Homes

Top Ideabooks

Appears in

Houzz Tours

Top Ideabooks

See also

Contemporary Homes Beach Homes Country Homes Eclectic Homes Traditional Homes Colourful Homes Small Homes Modern Homes Rental Homes Sustainable Homes Holiday Homes New Zealand Homes

Houzz Tour: Modern Sydney Reno Thinks Outside the Box

This project's architect brought innovation to the table, moving the kitchen outdoors, the office to a shed, and other unique ideas

Vanessa Brunner 12 May 2014

Houzz Contributor

Comment40

Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.

It may look like a simple cottage from the front, but the rear of this home in Sydney’s Lilyfield opens up to a surprisingly modern outdoor living space. Like the other houses on small lots in this eclectic neighbourhood, the house is built out to its side boundaries with minimal front-yard and backyard space.

Architect Danny Broe worked within the site’s limits to create a space that embraces the Australian sunshine. Building a new back porch, pushing a third of the kitchen onto the verandah and putting a small office in an outdoor shed opened up the back of the house for seamless indoor-outdoor living.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young artistic couple, with a small child
Location: Lilyfield, Sydney, New South Wales
Size: 96 square metres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Budget: About $130,000

Danny Broe Architect

The back of the house completely opens to the backyard. While this style is common in Sydney, Broe decided to push the envelope and put a third of the kitchen outside. The laundry is also outside, under the bar top, which keeps it close to the clothesline. "We wanted to take it a step further and put the kitchen, the most active room in the house, on the threshold," Broe says.

Folding door: Architectural Joinery

Danny Broe Architect

Most of the homes in this area are small brick and wood cottages that were built about 100 years ago. Broe changed little on the front of the house, maintaining the same scale and size to suit the neighbourhood.

Danny Broe Architect

Broe built a new, tiny home office on the site of the century old home’s outhouse. Plywood sliding doors with an acrylic roofing infill (the same material used on the verandah) open up at the corner to create the feeling of more space. A cantilevered roof allowed Broe to avoid using a corner column.

Danny Broe Architect

The new back addition incorporates rough, raw materials, such as wood and corrugated metal, for texture and to emphasise the construction methods. Broe made a point of using few decorative finishes. “The raw and overlapping materials evoke nature,” he says.

Broe used recycled red gum for the verandah floor. A local sail-maker made the shade cloth attached to the left side of the verandah, which helps with privacy and reduces rain splash.

Before Photo

Previously, the rear of the house was damaged and structurally unsound. The angle of the house made it cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and minimised any connection to the back garden.

Danny Broe Architect

AFTER: Now the house embraces the sunny outdoors. New brick walls on either side help with privacy but still provide some connection with the neighbours.

Danny Broe Architect

The site orients north and so Broe used passive solar techniques to benefit the home’s energy efficiency. “In Sydney, 90 per cent of the poor weather comes from the south, so the verandah was protected and facing north,” he says. “We oversized the big roof so it acts like a big umbrella.”

Unlike most verandah roofs, which slope toward the ground, this one angles up. The roofline lets in the winter sun, keeps out the summer sun and allows for a view of the sky. A gutter at the back of the verandah catches rainwater and filters it off the house.

Extra-durable laminate on the outside portion of the kitchen means it can stand up to the toughest Aussie weather. An overhang at the benchtop helps protect the laundry area, too. Most of the main kitchen storage and appliances are inside, so the set-up works in all weather.

Danny Broe Architect

Plastic laminate cabinetry and benchtops and a back-painted glass splashback make for a durable, easy-to-clean kitchen inside, too. The cupboard and benchtop edging have contrasting colours for a playful touch.

Benchtops, cabinetry: plastic laminate, Abet Laminati; pendants: IKEA

Danny Broe Architect

Because the house is closed in on each side by other homes, Broe had to make use of any natural light he could get. The long, thin, slot skylight in the living room fills the room with sunlight.

Danny Broe Architect

The interior’s colour and material palette feels modern but warm — much like the new exterior addition. “We wanted a modern look, but we didn’t want white minimalism,” says Broe. The home’s original hardwood floors add texture to this clean look.

Danny Broe Architect

Stone tile makes for a soothing bathroom that still has plenty of character. Broe custom designed the vanity with recessed lighting, and the client's father built it as a Christmas present to the family.

Danny Broe Architect

Original clapboard walls in the bedroom maintain some of the home's character. The black and white textile scheme ties in with the rest of the home's simple design.

Photographer: Karina Illovska
Structural engineer: Partridge Partners
Carpenter: Grant Bidwell

Comment40

Comments (40)

See 37 more comments

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo

pam999

What is clapboard?

Like 11 October 2014 at 6:44am

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo

PRO

Supercheap Storage Sydney

I love this modern look. It looks really cozy and homely with the entire space looking bright and airy. I have to admit the rustic flooring complements the clean washed walls and fresh-coloured furnishings. I think this entire concept is really suitable for Sydney where the lifestyle is always vibrant and outgoing. The place looks welcoming and will definitely help you to unwind after a hard day’s work.

Like 24 November 2014 at 7:55pm

Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo