The restoration of the heritage-listed Homebush site, initially built in 1916, has transformed a previously deteriorated residence into a harmonious blend of old-world charm and modern sophistication. Via a meticulous process of dismantling and rebuilding, we ensured the preservation of the original four-room cottage which now effortlessly converses with a new voluminous, light-drenched contemporary rear extension.
Heirloom
House of Curves
Photographer
Pablo Veiga
Stylist
Room on Fire
Builder
Urban Property
Project Team
Bronwyn Litera, Chris Trotta, Joanna Misenkova, Areebah Aslam
Key cornerstones of the renovation include a feature stairway detailed in Caravaggio marble and a glass gantry that connects the original structure to the new addition. Beneath a thin metal roof, slid beneath the pitch-shingled roof of the original cottage, is the new kitchen. This considered architectural intervention cultivates the impression of the newly built components floating within the existing structure, giving space to the residence’s historical narrative.
Continuing from the gantry, a new double-storey addition sits behind the original cottage. Symmetrical and modern in appearance, it negotiates with the home’s historical narrative by incorporating blonde Kraus brick exterior cladding and clean design gestures. Internally, arched ceilings, decorative mouldings, and stained glass windows were meticulously restored or remade in the restored cottage, continuing the dialogue between old and new.
The new layout emphasises a flow from the cottage's intimate spaces to larger public areas and generous outdoor spaces like a courtyard and pool, enhancing the home's liveability.
With its striking vaulted ceiling, Homebush’s basement serves as a private sanctuary with luxury amenities, including a gym, sauna and hot and cold plunge pools to one side and a wine cellar and spacious parlour to the other. In between is an expansive garage for an avid car connoisseur. Ambient lighting and detail-forward design expressions such as DIAS granite cobblestone flooring curate an atmosphere of bespoke retreat.
A colour palette anchored by red mosaic, dark terracotta microcement and Rosso Levanto stone signals an aesthetic shift from the light and airy monochromes that define the residence’s upper levels, creating a dynamic living experience that celebrates heritage while instilling modern eloquence.
