Who lives here: Warren, a software developer, and his partner Annie, a solicitor.
Style of home: A narrow heritage-style Victorian terrace in the inner-city suburb of Chippendale, Sydney.
Timeline: All up, the project took 15 months – two months for design and development, another four for the DA process, then three months of construction documentation plus six for the actual construction – and was completed in March this year.
Budget: The whole project cost was approximately $400,000.
Exterior The traditional terrace facade hides the contemporary interior of this home.
For Warren and Annie, dreams of a light-filled and streamlined home seemed a long way off when they first approached Kitty Lee, of Kitty Lee Architecture, to help them with a kitchen and bathroom update. But as they delved into the brief, it made better sense to look at the renovation of the whole house from the get-go.
“The scope of the project massively ballooned from what was supposed to be a simple kitchen renovation, but it was definitely the right decision,” says Warren. He and Annie had owned the Victorian terrace in Sydney’s Chippendale for about three years before engaging Kitty to address the dark, cramped spaces and general dilapidation.
Courtyard “Granite tiles from Surface Gallery continue to the courtyard for a seamless extension of living space,” says Kitty. “A new barbecue bench functions as an outdoor kitchen, which was a wishlist item for the couple. It was cantilevered so that the floor area would feel more expansive.” Custom concrete bench, Concrete Studio. Signature proline built-in side burner barbecue, Beefeater. Axon cladding, Scyon. Ocean grey flamed granite tiles, Surface Gallery.
Kitty devised a plan that would stretch the rear of the terrace to both boundaries of the ground floor, gaining liveable space from a seldom-used side passage, and she introduced a lightwell and a split level that now connects the terrace to the outdoors.
Determined to respectfully renovate this two-bedroom, two-bathroom heritage terrace, architect Kitty Lee retained the front, ground-floor portion of the home that housed the living and dining areas, as well as the main bedroom, attic bedroom and study upstairs.
Kitchen “Cupboards to the ceiling and full-height glazing to the courtyard take advantage of the generous height of the room,” says Kitty. “Triple-stacking sliding doors were selected for flexibility; the doors can be opened from both sides, stacked to either side or stacked in the middle. So, when someone is using the kitchen, the courtyard is still accessible from the other side of the island bench.” New Works Lighting ‘Juliet’ pendant light, HG Furniture Solutions. Vantage stacking doors, Architectural Window Systems.
Restoring the three original fireplaces and floorboards was an integral part of the considered makeover, along with reworking the rear floor plan to achieve greater functionality, flexibility and natural light within a contemporary structure.
The tapered shape – from a modest 4.3 metres wide at the front, to 2.9 metres at the rear of the site – was another challenge that Kitty handled by redistributing rooms to ensure every space reached its full potential.
Kitchen “We are so happy with the kitchen,” says Warren. “The extra storage has improved my workflow, in particular the pull-out shelves.” The success of the zone is due to smart design decisions, as well as elegant style choices, with Elton Group Eveneer Milkwood veneer joinery by BK Joinery, as well as a splashback in Shuk tiles from Skheme.
Annie, having previously lived in apartments, appreciated the sense of privacy and space provided by the terrace, and requested an onsen-style bathtub in the main bathroom, which sparked the concept of a minimalistic Japanese sensibility throughout. Opaque glass doors, elegant custom joinery, billowy white curtains and compact spaces with high-quality finishes ensure the aesthetic permeates through the home.
By briefing in the requirement for beautiful, functional storage to capitalise on the terrace’s generous ceiling height, the couple are now able to live unburdened by clutter.
Master bedroom Walls painted in Dulux Herbalist reflect the surrounding trees, adding an element of nature to this inner-city residence. Jasper chair in tan, MRD Home. Afternoon Nap artwork, The Art and Framing Company. Cushions and throw, Adairs. Samurai Carpet in Pyua, Cavalier Bremworth.
A lightwell with a water feature now demarcates the division between old and new, drawing natural light into the home and providing an ambient view when lit at night. Gaining extra width by extending to the property’s boundaries allowed space for a kitchen island topped with an Essastone White Concrete work surface and black inset with a Franke sink and tap.
“The sink and cooktop are offset so two people can comfortably use the kitchen at the same time,” says Kitty. “The location of the sink also makes room for seating at one end of the island.” Warren agrees: “We often eat at the bench when it’s just the two of us.”
Second bedroom “I made the leather strap hanging rail, which was installed under a simple shelf,” says Kitty. “A recessed pelmet allows a curtain to span wall to wall, a versatile yet cost-effective solution to add texture and softness to the room, control light and privacy and also conceal the wardrobe space without the need for a separate cupboard door.” Vantage magnum sliding door, Architectural Window Systems. Custom curtains, Kolong Interiors. Curtain fabric, Charles Parsons Interiors.
By moving the kitchen to the back of the home and adding a gentle split level, Kitty has fashioned a cooking zone that opens directly out to the courtyard and benefits from an even greater sense of space when the triple-stacking sliding doors are stowed.
Upstairs, a new north-facing window in the study has dramatically changed the appeal of the space, and the Juliet balcony off the second bedroom is a winning addition. In this neat spare bedroom, Kitty has designed a wardrobe that is veiled by the same simple curtaining that extends across the balcony door.
Main bathroom “Typical of a Japanese bathroom, the room is divided into wet and dry areas,” says Kitty. “The large skylight over the wet area draws the eye upwards rather than along the narrow space.” ‘Hana’ acrylic bath, The Japanese Bath Company. ‘Icon + Lever’ shower set and ‘Icon’ taps, Astra Walker.
A single pelmet recessed into the ceiling delivers a streamlined look, and creative attention paid to the wardrobe itself ensures that even when the curtains are drawn, the view is a good one.
As with any example of great design, it’s the details that bear particular mention, and in this home, the lighting is especially worthy of attention. When asked for some of his favourite aspects of the renovation, Warren says, “Sunlight flooding the bathroom from the skylight during the day, and the lightwell with the water feature looks especially good at night with the lights turned on.”
Main bathroom The neutral palette that runs throughout the home continues into the bathroom spaces. Matt white non-rectified wall tiles, Surface Gallery. White unglazed square floor tiles, Di Lorenzo. Quasar 65 wall basin with LH shelf, Parisi.
And sometimes, the hardest working rooms in the house have the potential for the greatest improvement. The bathroom and laundry is now a multipurpose space. “Rather than hiding the laundry within a cupboard, the laundry tub has a recessed mirrored cabinet above so that it doubles as a bathroom vanity,” says Kitty.
Fusing the laundry with the bathroom reclaimed much-needed space for Warren and Annie, but the success of this project isn’t all about utilising square metres inside. Just as importantly, the addition of the lightwell ensures connection to the outdoors and a tranquil view from the centre of the home.
Bathroom/laundry “A custom full-height opaque glass door from Sapphire Aluminium allows the windowless room to borrow daylight from the lightwell,” says Kitty. A mix of storage options – ceiling-height storage, bench space, open shelving – improve the room’s functionality.
“Internally, we have used a palette of natural tones, robust materials and different shades of green to visually connect with the glimpses of greenery outside,” says Kitty. “The house embraces its challenging location in the dense urban fabric and finds harmony between utility and its heritage context.”
To see more of Kitty’s work, visit Kitty Lee Architecture. The builder of the project is Renotech, visit Renotech Building.
