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Renovating
Pattern Cottage: A Second Storey & Pretty Prints for a Sweet Home
A narrow site, strict building restrictions and a restrained budget were no obstacle to creating this dream family home
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Kitty Lee, principal at Kitty Lee Architecture, shares the journey of re-working and extending a dark and poky cottage with some tricky restrictions to create a bright and welcoming home for a young family.
The facade before works
What was the original house like?
A detached single-storey, one-bedroom brick cottage built in the early 20th century.
Inspired to get cracking on your own renovation? Find a local architect on Houzz and start a conversation
What was the original house like?
A detached single-storey, one-bedroom brick cottage built in the early 20th century.
Inspired to get cracking on your own renovation? Find a local architect on Houzz and start a conversation
What condition was the house in when you came on board?
The existing house had an inefficient layout. The kitchen and bathroom were small and dark and felt disconnected from the rest of the house.
The main entry was from the side passage to allow the front room to function as the only bedroom in the house.
The existing house had an inefficient layout. The kitchen and bathroom were small and dark and felt disconnected from the rest of the house.
The main entry was from the side passage to allow the front room to function as the only bedroom in the house.
How would you describe this project?
Alterations and additions to the existing house including a new first floor.
Alterations and additions to the existing house including a new first floor.
What wasn’t working for the clients about the house originally?
- It was too small for a family of four, who required two extra bedrooms.
- The existing kitchen and bathroom were small, dark and disconnected from the rest of the house.
- The layout was awkward, with a wall along the centre of the house that created a long dining room and a narrow pantry that was also the corridor to the toilet and laundry.
Gained
- An open-plan kitchen and living room on the ground floor.
- A powder room on the ground floor.
- We reinstated the main entry to the front of the house and created a new hallway to separate the front bedroom from the entry.
- A covered deck directly connected to the living area
- A first-floor addition with two new bedrooms and a main bathroom.
Bifolds to the new deck open up the living room to the outdoors
Brief
Brief
- Three bedrooms.
- Two bathrooms.
- Open-plan living area.
- Large island bench instead of a dining room.
Original floor plan
What were the client’s must-haves?
What were the client’s must-haves?
- A large open-plan kitchen and living area.
- Three bedrooms.
New floor plan across two levels
What problem or constraint did this project address?
How does the new work address these issues?
What problem or constraint did this project address?
- A lack of space.
- The need for more natural light.
- The inefficient arrangement of rooms in the existing house.
How does the new work address these issues?
- The new first-floor addition allowed the size of the house to grow so the ground floor could be opened up and reconfigured.
- New windows and skylights improve access to natural light throughout the house.
What was the budget?
Approximately $400,000.
Where did most of it go?
Demolition, structure and carpentry.
Approximately $400,000.
Where did most of it go?
Demolition, structure and carpentry.
What exactly did you do?
- Reinstated the main entry to the front of the house and created a new hallway to separate the front bedroom from the entry.
- Retained the existing decorative timber work to the hallway opening, as it was one of the only original features remaining inside the house.
- The original living room now transitions to a new open-plan family space, defined by the change in floor finish from timber to terrazzo.
- The new open-plan room is grounded by a dramatic four-metre long hardwood island bench. The bench is the heart of the house, crafted from a tree that was demolished from a local golf course, and functions as both the kitchen workbench and dining table.
- Added a new powder room under the stairs.
- Put in a new covered deck to connect the living area to the outdoors.
- Added a first floor to accommodate two new bedrooms and a new main bathroom.
How much restoration work was involved?
- At the front of the house, the entry door and bedroom window were replaced to be more in keeping with the style of the house.
- The original timber work to the hallway opening was retained and repainted.
- The original timber floorboards to the two front rooms were retained and refinished.
- The existing living room walls were re-rendered.
What did you do to the facade?
- The existing non-original aluminium framed window was replaced with a new timber-framed window.
- The side entry door was reused as the front door, replacing the non-original existing door.
- Repainting to the front of the house.
- The roof sheeting and gutters were replaced.
Tell us about the stunning, oversized kitchen island?
With limited space in the house, the clients didn’t want a separate, formal dining room. Instead, they requested a large kitchen island bench that could also function as a dining table.
The island is a multipurpose feature in the centre of the house and the timber adds warmth to the room.
We were very lucky that the joiner was able to source the tallowwood from a tree cut down from a local golf course, which he crafted into this special bench.
With limited space in the house, the clients didn’t want a separate, formal dining room. Instead, they requested a large kitchen island bench that could also function as a dining table.
The island is a multipurpose feature in the centre of the house and the timber adds warmth to the room.
We were very lucky that the joiner was able to source the tallowwood from a tree cut down from a local golf course, which he crafted into this special bench.
What did you put under the stairs?
A powder room at the taller end and a storage cupboard at the lower end. The latter provides valuable space for large bulky items such as the vacuum cleaner.
A powder room at the taller end and a storage cupboard at the lower end. The latter provides valuable space for large bulky items such as the vacuum cleaner.
We love the use of pattern in this house – tell us about it
One of the owners is a fashion designer who loves print, colour and texture so she was interested in including patterns and prints throughout the house.
The use of pattern is mainly seen through the selection of tiles and wallpaper to balance out the other plain surfaces. The main finishes in the house are deliberately light and bright to make the spaces feel more spacious.
One of the owners is a fashion designer who loves print, colour and texture so she was interested in including patterns and prints throughout the house.
The use of pattern is mainly seen through the selection of tiles and wallpaper to balance out the other plain surfaces. The main finishes in the house are deliberately light and bright to make the spaces feel more spacious.
Tell us about the patterned splashback tiles
The pink splashback in the kitchen is decorated with a micro pattern of lines, dots and diamonds. Paired with a matching grout colour, from a distance the surface almost looks like wallpaper rather than a tile.
The colour and subtle pattern adds interest to an otherwise neutral material palette in the kitchen, and the warm tones tie in with the terracotta pendant lights over the island bench.
The pink splashback in the kitchen is decorated with a micro pattern of lines, dots and diamonds. Paired with a matching grout colour, from a distance the surface almost looks like wallpaper rather than a tile.
The colour and subtle pattern adds interest to an otherwise neutral material palette in the kitchen, and the warm tones tie in with the terracotta pendant lights over the island bench.
What challenges did you have to work around during this project?
- The size of this house was constrained by the location of the existing sewer vent shaft in the backyard. As we were restricted by Sydney Water’s stringent guidelines for building adjacent to their assets, there was little change to the existing building footprint except for the addition of a new covered deck.
- The first-floor area is also limited by the restrictions (having to maintain two-metre clearance to the sewer vent shaft) therefore the clients had to forgo a second bathroom upstairs.
The original timber work was retained as it was the interior’s only remaining original feature
- The design and approval process for this project was required to be completed within a very tight time frame. When the client approached me, they had a previous DA approval that would expire in six months’ time. The house needed to be completely redesigned as the client’s brief had changed from when they had it designed five years earlier by another architect.
A view to the new first-floor addition
Tell us about the palette and prints in the powder room
The powder room is located under the stairs and is mainly used as the guest bathroom. The wallpaper was selected by the client and the grey tiles add to the dramatic contrast of the room to the rest of the house.
We wanted this little room to have an element of surprise, which has been achieved though the use of a darker colour palette and fun print.
The powder room is located under the stairs and is mainly used as the guest bathroom. The wallpaper was selected by the client and the grey tiles add to the dramatic contrast of the room to the rest of the house.
We wanted this little room to have an element of surprise, which has been achieved though the use of a darker colour palette and fun print.
We love the textured carpet – why does it work here?
It was imperative that the grey selected for the carpet worked with the grey terrazzo tiles as they meet at the bottom of the stairs.
The carpet has a lattice pattern and subtle variation in colour that adds texture and visual interest.
It was imperative that the grey selected for the carpet worked with the grey terrazzo tiles as they meet at the bottom of the stairs.
The carpet has a lattice pattern and subtle variation in colour that adds texture and visual interest.
The original bedroom
Tell us about this bedroom
This is the main bedroom – the front room in the new first-floor addition.
The ribbon window above the wardrobe is north-facing, providing an abundance of natural light and opens up the room to sky and tree views.
The built-in wardrobe becomes a study nook at the front corner that faces the street, making use of the outlook and creating a quiet space in the main bedroom for another purpose.
This is the main bedroom – the front room in the new first-floor addition.
The ribbon window above the wardrobe is north-facing, providing an abundance of natural light and opens up the room to sky and tree views.
The built-in wardrobe becomes a study nook at the front corner that faces the street, making use of the outlook and creating a quiet space in the main bedroom for another purpose.
What are the defining features of this project?
- The use of patterns and prints throughout the house.
- The large timber island bench.
- Natural light provided by the skylights and new doors and windows.
- A plant ledge and staircase.
- The bold powder room.
Why do you think the house now works so well?
Despite the limitations of the property in terms of site area and the sewer vent shaft, the house has almost doubled in size to provide all the rooms required for this growing family.
The house is naturally lit, bright and spacious.
The selection of materials and finishes has injected lots of personality into this cottage. The house is practical, fun and full of life and colour.
Despite the limitations of the property in terms of site area and the sewer vent shaft, the house has almost doubled in size to provide all the rooms required for this growing family.
The house is naturally lit, bright and spacious.
The selection of materials and finishes has injected lots of personality into this cottage. The house is practical, fun and full of life and colour.
Interior materials palette
- Surface Gallery Italian terrazzo floor tiles.
- Polytec laminate in Classic White kitchen joinery.
- Classic Ceramics Confetti Milano tiles to the kitchen splashback.
- Custom tallowwood kitchen island.
- Caesarstone Frozen Terra kitchen benchtop.
- Cole & Son Savuti wallpaper in green to the powder room.
- Di Lorenzo Tiles gloss charcoal subway tiles to the powder room walls.
- Di Lorenzo Tiles Futura White and Grey floor tiles to main bathroom floor.
- Cavalier Bremworth Lattice wool carpet in Quarry.
- Maxiply Grey Maxi Film plywood joinery to main bedroom.
- Tallowwood decking.
Interior fixtures and fittings
- Satelight Aeon Illumination Jord pendants in kitchen.
- Castella 30 millimetre Ledge Pull kitchen cabinet handles in Matt Black.
- Phoenix Tapware Vivid Slimline tapware in Matt Black to main bathroom and kitchen.
- Phoenix Tapware Vivid Slimline tapware in Gunmetal to powder room.
- Caroma Luna basin to powder room.
- Kaldewei Eurowa 1500 millimetre bath tub to main bathroom.
- Caroma Urbane toilets.
- Forme Mont Albert 1500 millimetre cabinet with double basin in White Gloss to main bathroom.
- Papaya Homewares hallway pendant.
Paint colours
- Front door in Dulux Terracotta Chip.
- Ground floor brick walls in Dulux Terrace White.
- First floor external vertical wall cladding in Dulux Snowy Mountains Quarter.
- Ground floor external timber work and front fence in Dulux Snowy Mountains Quarter.
- Interior walls in Dulux Natural White.
- Interior timber trims in Dulux Vivid White.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature here? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see more great renovations? Don’t miss this amazing Project of the Week: A Characterful Apartment Kitchen That Connects With Nature
What’s your favourite feature here? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see more great renovations? Don’t miss this amazing Project of the Week: A Characterful Apartment Kitchen That Connects With Nature
Answers by Kitty Lee, principal at Kitty Lee Architecture
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Leichhardt, Sydney
Size of the original single-storey house: Approximately 63 square metres
Size of the two-storey house after works: Approximately 113 square metres
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms originally: One bedroom and one bathroom
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Three bedrooms, one bathroom and a powder room
Architect and interior designer: Kitty Lee Architecture
Builder: Base Projects NSW
Joiner: Tim Wallace