Houzz Tours
My Houzz: When the House Next Door Becomes Home
Nestled in the leafy hills of Paddington in Brisbane, this eclectic cottage pays homage to its past and present dwellers
The inner-city suburb of Paddington sits between the glittering Brisbane river and the vast, verdant Mount Coot-Tha Forest and, with its mix of weatherboard cottages and traditional Queenslanders, gives locals a taste of Brisbane’s rich history. The main street of Latrobe Terrace is lined by numerous cosy cafes, art galleries, vintage and designer fashion boutiques, as well as many antique and secondhand stores.
Jennifer Hillhouse knows the area like the back of her hand, having grown up in her family’s home just a stone’s throw from Latrobe. Her family home is situated directly next door to the cottage she now calls home, and which she shares with her partner JC Lehuby and their adorable baby girl, Manou. Together they have filled their home with mementoes from their lives before and after they met, but overall the cottage is very much a testament to the Hillhouse family, who lovingly restored the home together after buying it from their neighbour.
Jennifer Hillhouse knows the area like the back of her hand, having grown up in her family’s home just a stone’s throw from Latrobe. Her family home is situated directly next door to the cottage she now calls home, and which she shares with her partner JC Lehuby and their adorable baby girl, Manou. Together they have filled their home with mementoes from their lives before and after they met, but overall the cottage is very much a testament to the Hillhouse family, who lovingly restored the home together after buying it from their neighbour.
The cottage had been in the previous owner’s family since it was built in 1875, and very early on there was a family of 10 living in the front (old) section of the house. The original owner was a sailor who settled in the area with his family, to work as a labourer on a dental hospital in the city.
The property now belongs to the Hillhouse family, who were initially all living together in their family home next door – which sits a little higher than the cottage. The family used to look down at number 52 and wonder what it was like inside. It always had unusual shifting tenants and was completely run down; literally falling apart. No one had maintained the property, there were windows missing and it still had the original outhouse in the back garden.
The property now belongs to the Hillhouse family, who were initially all living together in their family home next door – which sits a little higher than the cottage. The family used to look down at number 52 and wonder what it was like inside. It always had unusual shifting tenants and was completely run down; literally falling apart. No one had maintained the property, there were windows missing and it still had the original outhouse in the back garden.
“My parents decided to ask the owner if he would consider selling the house to them,” says Hillhouse. “We didn’t hear anything for a couple of years and after waiting and wondering Mum and Dad finally decided to let sleeping dogs lie.” Shortly after they’d let go of the whole idea, their son Charlie was skateboarding on the street when the cottage owner came down and told him that he wanted to finally sell the house to his parents. This was a quite a surprise to everyone, and the Hillhouse family still couldn’t quite believe that it was going to go through, right up until the settlement date.
A lot of the renovations were done by Jennifer’s mother, Sue Hillhouse and it was often a full family affair. Hillhouse recalls spending many weekends sanding the floors, no-more-gapping the walls and painting the roof alongside her parents and brother.
“It’s been a well-loved home for many years now, and is very much a part of our family,” she says. “It has housed my brother and I at different times in our lives and watched us come and go during the university years, with small adjustments made to see the space work in different ways.”
A lot of the renovations were done by Jennifer’s mother, Sue Hillhouse and it was often a full family affair. Hillhouse recalls spending many weekends sanding the floors, no-more-gapping the walls and painting the roof alongside her parents and brother.
“It’s been a well-loved home for many years now, and is very much a part of our family,” she says. “It has housed my brother and I at different times in our lives and watched us come and go during the university years, with small adjustments made to see the space work in different ways.”
Today the home is still loved and very much respected by the newest family members, providing a place to make new memories. The house is also very much a working space for this busy couple, as Lehuby and Hillhouse are always working on some sort of project in their occasional down-time, so this workbench replaces the typical TV found in a living room.
“This workshop room was coined by Paul and my parents the ‘ante/anty’ room. It serves as an entry but also when they first bought the house the floor was completely eaten by ants,” says Hillhouse.
Around 1880, the original owners added an extension to the back of the home; this was to become a kitchen. You can see the original exterior of the house as you enter through the workshop space (pictured on the right), which is the official entry of the house. The roof line is still on the original tilt of the back verandah.
The Hillhouse family worked very closely with Paul Hotston of Phorm Architecture on both of their houses. For number 52, they wanted to keep the house as original as possible, making only a few changes so that it was liveable.
Hotson made a conscious decision to keep elements of the house which told its story. The skirting board between the kitchen and work room remains and shows years of wear from footsteps between the two rooms. The window ledges are completely worn, but original as well, and have been varnished to keep them from completely disintegrating.
The Hillhouse family worked very closely with Paul Hotston of Phorm Architecture on both of their houses. For number 52, they wanted to keep the house as original as possible, making only a few changes so that it was liveable.
Hotson made a conscious decision to keep elements of the house which told its story. The skirting board between the kitchen and work room remains and shows years of wear from footsteps between the two rooms. The window ledges are completely worn, but original as well, and have been varnished to keep them from completely disintegrating.
The current kitchen is now located at the front of the cottage and is accessed via the workshop room.
Once the Hillhouse family had purchased the cottage, they asked the previous owner why it had taken him such a long time to decide to sell the house. He explained that it was because his grandfather had been a collector and Australian bird enthusiast, and he had been reluctant to part ways with his collection. Where the kitchen now stands, there was previously a glass cabinet filled with home-taxidermied native birds, collected over many years.
“Apparently it was massive and filled up most of this wall,” explains Hillhouse, meaning it would have been very difficult to relocate. He ended up donating the collection to the Queensland Museum, but fellow bird lover Hillhouse admits to wishing they’d been left in the cottage.
“Apparently it was massive and filled up most of this wall,” explains Hillhouse, meaning it would have been very difficult to relocate. He ended up donating the collection to the Queensland Museum, but fellow bird lover Hillhouse admits to wishing they’d been left in the cottage.
The family of three spend most of their time in the kitchen. Hillhouse says it’s their main living space. It is quite a small house, but the three of them fit quite comfortably. “As soon as we invite more than four people over, the space gets very tight!” she admits.
Hillhouse really enjoys sitting at the kitchen table to complete her design work, particularly in winter. The kitchen has a view of the city, with large louvered windows that really open up the space.
This section was originally a front verandah that had stairs leading to a front door on the left. The space was enclosed during the renovations, creating a larger living area, and the fibro board was left unpainted to give the illusion of concrete panelling.
This section was originally a front verandah that had stairs leading to a front door on the left. The space was enclosed during the renovations, creating a larger living area, and the fibro board was left unpainted to give the illusion of concrete panelling.
Hillhouse says her favourite place in the house is here on this daybed, looking down over the street. “I spent most of my pregnancy there and it’s still such a relaxing place to sit after a busy day’s work,” she says.
To the right of the daybed and still in the main living and kitchen area is another ideal spot to sit and take in the street view.
Left of the kitchen and living area is the main bedroom of the cottage. This antique portrait of a French solider is Hillhouse’s most recent acquisition, which she found while visiting Lehuby’s family in France over the Christmas period.
In the main bedroom, this bold and colourful portrait of a French Sailor with a dog and a parrot, belongs to Hillhouse and was painted by artist Mike Bennett. She bought the painting before she met Lehuby, which seemed to somewhat predict her future. She now has herself a French partner who also had a dog (Hillhouse had a pet parrot at the time) and the pair found themselves living in a house that was once owned by a sailor.
“At the time it seemed absolutely humongous and the art dealer (who was also a friend) was questioning me about why I wanted to buy the biggest painting in the exhibition,” laughs Hillhouse. “For me, there was no other option.”
“At the time it seemed absolutely humongous and the art dealer (who was also a friend) was questioning me about why I wanted to buy the biggest painting in the exhibition,” laughs Hillhouse. “For me, there was no other option.”
Trinkets and travel mementoes are artfully arranged on this vintage wall-mounted shelving unit in the main bedroom.
Much like the rest of the home, the bathroom and laundry are just as creative in showcasing the couple’s eclectic collection of treasures. An installation of hanging mirrors is accompanied by artwork, framed photographs, hats and hanging plants.
Also in the bathroom, there’s a hook for each family member’s bath towel. The house is decorated and influenced by a combination of things, signs of the past and the people that had previously lived here. “Our time here growing up is still very visible as well as the time other people have spent living in the house,” explains Hillhouse.
The back section of the home beyond the workshop area is the newest extension added to the existing cottage. Hotson really got to add his trademark style in this part of the home’s design, creating a perfect balance of indoors and outdoors with the afternoon light flooding in from the backyard, and illuminating the flute board panels along the exterior wall.
The plan was to simply restore as much of the cottage as possible and make the least amount of structural changes. Hillhouse recalls this being quite an undertaking, because everything was so very dilapidated. Once they got started, however, it was amazing what a difference bit of cleaning and paint made.
The plan was to simply restore as much of the cottage as possible and make the least amount of structural changes. Hillhouse recalls this being quite an undertaking, because everything was so very dilapidated. Once they got started, however, it was amazing what a difference bit of cleaning and paint made.
To the right of the new hallway is the second bedroom, which now belongs to Manou.
Before Lehuby and Hillhouse moved into the cottage, her brother Charlie lived here with a friend. At the time, he was taking and printing a lot of photos and also producing and publishing art zines. His room is now Manou’s room, and all of his collected books are still on display. A lot of Charlie’s photos are also still located in most rooms of the home, and the little family have grown really fond of them. “It wouldn’t feel right to take them down, they are a visual record of our history in this home,” says Hillhouse.
The outdoor area is made to feel comfortable and the family spend quite a bit of time out here enjoying the Brisbane weather. Lehuby’s favourite part of the cottage is the back verandah. He also has an interest in crafting handmade knives and has a workspace set up outside where he welds blades.
Older, treasured and upcycled items are in use around this quaint home, including these antique water pitchers and this well-used stove on the back deck. Together, they make this the perfect place to gather around a toasty fire with the whole family.
Another little corner to gather and display collected artworks, plants and books sits on the deck as well.
From the garden you can really see where the major renovations were done. The roof over the back deck was to become the biggest architectural feature of the home. It sits higher than the rest of the home to allow more light to come in. Hillhouse says it would have been a quicker, cheaper and far easier option to have added a scallion roof from the back of the house, but Hotson came up with this design instead. The idea for the roof pitch was to also keep it in line with the other roofs and general pitch of the houses in the Paddington area. This shot is taken from beneath the deck to the far side of the cottage.
“It was quite difficult to build the long steel poles under the existing deck, but the end result is not only a wonderful feature, it has also breathed new life into the back section of the house,” Hillhouse says.
“It was quite difficult to build the long steel poles under the existing deck, but the end result is not only a wonderful feature, it has also breathed new life into the back section of the house,” Hillhouse says.
As the small family got to cleaning up in the and around the cottage, they found many relics from the past. Under the floor, they discovered vinyl from the ’40s through to the ’50s and they continue to find a huge amount of ‘archaeological’ material in the garden. “We’ve found horse shoes, bridle bits, a shoe and a boot repairs sign, coins and old tools,” explains Hillhouse.
The boot repairs sign now hangs on the worker’s cottage in the backyard of the property. It was originally a shed, but now a friend of the couple rents it, and before baby Manou came along Lehuby and Hillhouse also lived in it.
The boot repairs sign now hangs on the worker’s cottage in the backyard of the property. It was originally a shed, but now a friend of the couple rents it, and before baby Manou came along Lehuby and Hillhouse also lived in it.
An old bath tub stands beneath this lime tree, and was trialled as a fish pond, but the warm Queensland sun was a little too harsh when it came to controlling the water temperature. Now it stands as more of a decorative feature for the garden, completing the eclectic look of this small family home.
TELL US
What do you like most about this Brisbane home that’s been passed down through the family? Let us know in the Comments section.
What do you like most about this Brisbane home that’s been passed down through the family? Let us know in the Comments section.
Who lives here: Jennifer Hillhouse, JC Lehuby, 11-month-old daughter Manou and Marcel Duchomp, the Jack Russell.
Where: Paddington, Brisbane, Queensland
Size: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and backyard worker’s cottage
Hillhouse and Lehuby co-own and run Vielle Branche, a concept shop located in Albion which stocks French antiques, houses a cafe and offers the venue for various events, as well as hosting a range of creative workshops, including French lessons.
The decoration of their home is heavily influenced by the aesthetic and energy of their business. “Initially as our business began we brought furniture home as a way of paying ourselves – we were poor but rich in French farm furniture!” laughs Hillhouse.
Pictured beneath this window at the entry to the home is an antique French baby’s bath, which has been repurposed to now hold plants.