Houzz Tour: A Surprising Federation Cottage Blends Old With New
This Glebe renovation evolved over the construction process to give a family of four just the home they wanted
When homeowners hire an architect to upgrade their house, their eyes can often be opened to some unexpected possibilities. This was certainly the case for a Glebe couple who wanted more from their Federation-style cottage, but weren’t sure how to achieve it. Although they liked many aspects of the original house, the home’s 1980s addition didn’t suit their current and future needs, and they needed a place to retreat and work from home whenever the need arose.
“Initially the owners were looking at improving the external spaces with an option to upgrade the existing house, but it soon became clear they wanted and needed more in order to live in the house for the long term,” says architect Sean Radford of Nobbs Radford Architects.
Radford came up with a solution that saw the existing single-storey rear addition demolished and a contemporary two-storey rear addition built in its place, complete with two bedrooms, a bathroom, an open-plan living/dining/kitchen, and a new ensuite and study. “It’s very rare for us to have the final design simply reflect the initial briefing,” Radford says. “People come to an architect to go on a journey and the best results are when there are surprises along the way.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with two young children
Location: Glebe, Sydney
Size: 240 square metres (4 bedrooms, 2 living areas, study)
“Initially the owners were looking at improving the external spaces with an option to upgrade the existing house, but it soon became clear they wanted and needed more in order to live in the house for the long term,” says architect Sean Radford of Nobbs Radford Architects.
Radford came up with a solution that saw the existing single-storey rear addition demolished and a contemporary two-storey rear addition built in its place, complete with two bedrooms, a bathroom, an open-plan living/dining/kitchen, and a new ensuite and study. “It’s very rare for us to have the final design simply reflect the initial briefing,” Radford says. “People come to an architect to go on a journey and the best results are when there are surprises along the way.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A professional couple with two young children
Location: Glebe, Sydney
Size: 240 square metres (4 bedrooms, 2 living areas, study)
Despite the extra costs involved, single-skin concrete was chosen for the exterior and much of the interior due to its thermal properties, longevity and aesthetics. Radford sourced the concrete from a supplier just two kilometres away.
From the front, the Federation-style cottage looks as quaint as ever – the rear extension is invisible from the street.
More: Plan a Clever Extension That Blissfully Blends Old and New
More: Plan a Clever Extension That Blissfully Blends Old and New
The front living rooms in the original cottage retain their original bones and detail. Radford had all the walls and existing joinery painted in white to reduce the rooms to their essential elements.
Coral Cut round rug: Designer Rugs; Gubi Grossman Grasshopper floor lamp and tray tables: Cult; About a Lounge chair
Coral Cut round rug: Designer Rugs; Gubi Grossman Grasshopper floor lamp and tray tables: Cult; About a Lounge chair
Radford removed the non-original fireplaces and used the fire surrounds to house bespoke in-floor grilles for the ducted central heating. The full-length 300mm-wide Douglas fir Dinesen timber flooring ties the front rooms to the rest of the house.
The hallway through the original cottage now opens to a living area flanked by the main stairs on one side and the kitchen on the other. “The living space has both an intimate feeling to it due to the deep cloistered nature of the facade and a liberating sense because of the void and its ability to connect various spaces,” Radford explains.
The concrete soffit ceiling continues the exteriors’s facade into the house.
Stipple Shag rug: Designer Rugs; Moroso sofa: Hub
The concrete soffit ceiling continues the exteriors’s facade into the house.
Stipple Shag rug: Designer Rugs; Moroso sofa: Hub
Although it’s connected to the kitchen and living spaces, the dining space has a distinctive feel to it largely because it’s separated by the wide concrete column. The windows overlook a small rock and moss garden and are a valuable source of natural light in a space dominated by concrete and timber, rather than the light, bright walls found in the original cottage.
Dining table: Jardan; Fritz Hansen Ant Chairs: Cult
Dining table: Jardan; Fritz Hansen Ant Chairs: Cult
The joinery in the kitchen is European oak veneer, a theme continued throughout the two-storey addition. A seating space is cut out of the living room side of the bench for informal eating and gathering.
Fine-edge stainless-steel benchtops set off the warmth of the veneer.
Cassina P22 Easy Chair and Porcelight floor lamp: Cult
Cassina P22 Easy Chair and Porcelight floor lamp: Cult
Because the house sits close to the side boundaries, Radford had to consider how to bring natural light and ventilation into the downstairs bathroom without compromising on privacy. “We decided to build a half-wall window from floor level to create privacy and the opportunity to look onto a green wall of native vines from the bathroom and the bath,” he says. Radford also designed a chamfered-edge perfume cabinet with mirrored sides that emerges from the flush-mounted wall mirror.
Tapware: Astra Walker; towel rails Brodware
Tapware: Astra Walker; towel rails Brodware
“This room is the smallest of the house, and one of our favourites,” says Radford.
The room wasn’t planned at the design stage, but there was considerable roof space available between the original house and new addition. “We decided to take advantage of this and create a loft space over the fold-out bed joinery below,” Radford adds. Cantilevered rails to the side of the bed joinery serve as a ladder.
S&B Dot Carpet: Cult; Puku ottoman: Coco Flip
The room wasn’t planned at the design stage, but there was considerable roof space available between the original house and new addition. “We decided to take advantage of this and create a loft space over the fold-out bed joinery below,” Radford adds. Cantilevered rails to the side of the bed joinery serve as a ladder.
S&B Dot Carpet: Cult; Puku ottoman: Coco Flip
The stairway is a sculptural centrepiece of the open-plan addition; a series of storage drawers create a plinth for the stair joinery.
The new upstairs main bedroom follows in the vein of the concrete and timber addition beneath. Its restricted colour palette creates a calm and serene parents’ retreat. The travertine-tiled terrace features a stainless-steel solid-rod balustrade. “It’s an intimate space with the neighbouring pine tree providing shade,” says Radford.
The large study adjoining the main bedroom is, in many ways, the command centre of the house. The cantilevered European oak desk has integrated power points, data storage space and drawers, and sits atop larger suspended storage and filing boxes in white.
The study’s ceiling features a fine acoustic panel system from Echolinear/Topakustik that further defines the space and softens the sound bouncing off all those hard surfaces.
The study’s ceiling features a fine acoustic panel system from Echolinear/Topakustik that further defines the space and softens the sound bouncing off all those hard surfaces.
“The owners have talked about how peaceful and contained the house feels, as it doesn’t have large expanses of glazing throughout,” says Radford. “The use of narrow openings with deep reveals to the rear western facade aids in reducing direct sun in the summer months.”
Japanese micro-mosaic tiles line the ensuite walls and interior side of the bathroom door, while large-format floor tiles complement the timber floors adjacent. Waterproof LEDs were used to illuminate the low-set recessed shelf in the shower.
Catalano basin: Rogerseller; tapware: Astra Walker; towel rails: Brodware; Hidra Ceramica toilet: Parisi