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A Sunny Courtyard Brings Light into a Worker's Cottage
Even on the greyest days, this renovated Melbourne home feels warm and bright, thanks to an internal courtyard addition
Emily and Rob, owners of this Northcote, Victoria, worker’s cottage, took a bit of a gamble when they agreed to sacrifice precious space on their narrow block to create an internal courtyard in order to bring a little more light into their lives. Thankfully, their gamble paid off. Lined with timber-framed windows, the interior courtyard brings sunlight deep into their renovated home, creating a bright, warm space even in the darkest days of winter.
In addition to the courtyard, the couple also had their architect, Olivia van Dijk, create a new living space, kitchen, dining room and bathroom for them, as well as rearranging the floor plan to keep these living areas at the back of the home and have all three front rooms as bedrooms. This home, now filled with light and personality, is the perfect retreat for this creative Melbourne couple.
In addition to the courtyard, the couple also had their architect, Olivia van Dijk, create a new living space, kitchen, dining room and bathroom for them, as well as rearranging the floor plan to keep these living areas at the back of the home and have all three front rooms as bedrooms. This home, now filled with light and personality, is the perfect retreat for this creative Melbourne couple.
Inside the bright red door is an equally bright and refreshing home. The front three rooms, typically a sitting room and two bedrooms, are now three bedrooms with living spaces towards the rear. Van Dijk removed the lean-to and replaced it with a new living space, kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and laundry.
Living in your home for a few years is a great way to get an idea of what works (and what doesn’t) before you commit to a renovation. In Emily and Rob’s case, they loved the charm of their Edwardian worker’s cottage, and the location – the trendy suburb of Northcote in Melbourne, renowned for its art and crafts culture– was perfect for this creative couple.
Understandably, they found it harder to live with the rabbit-warren of dark rooms and the deteriorated lean-to attached to the home. Not to mention bone-chilling trips to the outdoor dunny in the middle of winter. So after braving one too many winters in the cottage, they had a clear picture of what they wanted architect Olivia van Dijk to achieve in their renovation: more light, improved circulation, a connection to the garden… and an indoor toilet!
Understandably, they found it harder to live with the rabbit-warren of dark rooms and the deteriorated lean-to attached to the home. Not to mention bone-chilling trips to the outdoor dunny in the middle of winter. So after braving one too many winters in the cottage, they had a clear picture of what they wanted architect Olivia van Dijk to achieve in their renovation: more light, improved circulation, a connection to the garden… and an indoor toilet!
A built-in booth in the dining area is a space-efficient seating solution. Overlooking the central courtyard, this is a light-filled place to enjoy meals. If you look closely you might spy a sunny corner perfect for growing all types of indoor plants. Tucked behind the fireplace is a small nook for firewood, which takes advantage of its northern orientation to also create a lush indoor garden.
The kitchen features rich recycled stringy bark from an old factory in Footscray, and recycled mountain ash from a house demolition in Kew, imbuing it with character that both defies the age of the extension and respects the age of the worker’s cottage.
Open cabinets add personality to the kitchen – an opportunity to display beautiful glassware, an assortment of quirky jars – and channel Andy Warhol with arrangements of tomato soup. Stainless steel and Carrara marble benchtops complete the eclectic, but sophisticated, scheme.
Given the site’s narrow width and south-facing backyard, it feels remarkably light-filled thanks to the central courtyard. A polished concrete floor in the living area absorbs the winter sun, keeping the home warm year-round. “The circulation flows really well – the sunken living space is well defined and easy to furnish,” Van Dijk says.
The bagged and painted fireplace in the living area provides some extra heating when required. The textured white masonry is also a great place for hanging the couple’s artwork. Like the polished-concrete floors, the brick fireplace absorbs the north sunlight during the day and releases that heat overnight to keep the home warmer. All the windows are double-glazed to lock that precious heat in, making this a much more comfortable home to wait out Melbourne’s winters. The courtyard is also useful in summer, helping the house to breathe by creating the prefect situation for cross-ventilation.
Floor-to-ceiling teal glass mosaic tiles in the bathroom create a calming, submarine feel for the space. The bathroom is a long, narrow room, so space-saving ideas were essential. A wall-mounted basin maximises the fixture’s footprint, while a mirrored medicine cabinet hides away all the necessities.
Van Dijk has continued the notched weatherboards in the backyard, to tie old and new together. On a clement day, Emily and Rob can open bi-fold windows onto the backyard to make their living area feel like an extension of the garden. The south-facing garden is deep enough to grab northern light for vegetable and herb growing.
The backyard has access to a rear laneway, so this sunny outdoor entertaining space can also be used as off-street parking if needed. A mural covering the roller door is an interpretation of Margaret Preston’s ‘The Boat’ – a touch of Sydney Harbour in suburban Melbourne is yet another quirky touch of personality in this creative couple’s home.
Who lives here: Emily Wright, who runs Melbourne-based fashion and homewares label, Nancybird, and her partner Rob Dabal
Location: Northcote, Victoria
Size: 130 square metres, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Architect: Olivia van Dijk Architecture
Photographer: Neil Preito
With a carefully considered renovation, Olivia van Dijk Architecture has created a modern, yet character-filled home for Emily and Rob. Even before stepping inside you get the sense that this cottage oozes personality (and it’s not just the firetruck-red door giving it away). Being design lovers, Emily and Rob have added touches of style and personality throughout their new home, including this ‘house tattoo’ out the front.