The Project: Sydney Surprise

How do you make a small house bigger? For this classic Sydney weatherboard on a tight block we kept the original house traditional and charming, giving nothing away from the street. Then, as you move through the front four rooms of the cottage the space explodes at the back - into a dramatic, double height room for contemporary open plan living. The hero of this room is the soaring five metre high joinery wall which holds up the staircase. Accessible from three points, it served as bookcase, wine storage and display wall.