The cottage, originally 4 rooms and a hallwaywith outbuildings, was bursting with original features but lacked good living space and had disproportionate space allocated to one enormous bathroom. The new owners, a professional couple, soon had two young daughters, and upon realising the cottage’s limitations, sought to create a home for modern living capable of meeting their growing needs while maintaining and enhancing its original character.
TKD Architects have modernised the layout and design by opening and connecting the rear living spaces to the courtyard embracing the privacy offered by the coach house to the east. The stairs, previously leading to an unused attic, lead to a new parent retreat with ensuite and dressing room. The existing 3.5m wide by 8m long kitchen, dining and living, is slightly widened and adjusted to increase kitchen/dining space reducing the original bathroom to a smaller guest bathroom. Skylights in the kitchen offer abundant natural light to a previously unlit space, while not compromising privacy. From the cottage’s original rear wall, the living space forms an L shape with the kitchen/dining and opens fully to the North East facing courtyard.The living space, a contemporary spatial layout,maintains a traditional feel through weatherboard panelling, colour and tactile detailing such as hand-painted kitchen cabinetry and floor to ceiling linen curtains.
TKD Architects’ heritage experts worked closely with City of Sydney Council who were highly supportive of the project design. Essential to the designwas maintaining the original cottage façade and designing the new attic extension as discreet as possible when viewed from the street. Inside, the use of minimalist plywood panelling offers striking contrast to the cottage’s textured ground floor level. The exceptional joinery delivers hidden timber sections with sliding walls, providing sliding openings to channel light and nestling bathroom facilities cleverly into confined roof space. This is a brave yet discerning addition, which completely changes the character and use of the upstairs space.
The original coach house remains as guest accommodation and includes laundry space and storage.
The last of its kind, this 1860’s heritage listed Victorian timber cottage in Sydney’s inner west suburb of Newtown is named after its former owner, ‘Hurlstone’ mother to the founder of Hurlstone Agricultural College and kept within the same family for several generations.
By the 1990s the cottage had fallen into a dilapidated state and was earmarked for demolition against the desire of local residents, to be replaced by town houses. However, the property was purchased and saved by the previous owners who self-renovated and maintained the cottage before selling to the current owners, in 2006.
Material Used :
1. Roofing: Falzonal. Novelis Aluminium. Zinkgrau (1773-20)
2. Roofing: Custom Orb. Lysaght. Windspray.
3. External Walls: Painted timber weatherboards. Dulux Ghosting.
4. Internal Walls: Painting timber regency boards. Dulux Ghosting Quarter.
5.Custom Sliding doors: Stockwells Joinery. Clear Finish.
6. Windows, Louvres: Breezeway. Powdercoated.
7. Window Flush Pull: Halliday Baillie. Nickle.
8. Flooring: Hardwood 130x19. Blackwattle hardwood. Golden Oak.
9. Carpet: Tussore Loop Pile, Cavalier Bremworth. Cutch.
10. Lighting: recessed downlights. LA Lounge.
11. Lighting: Ram pendant. Torremato/Lightco.
12. Lighting: Bundle pendants. About Space.
13. Lighting: Astro Digit Recessed Downlights. ECC Lighting.
14. Cooktop: Blanco
15. Kitchen: Composite stone benchtop. Caesarstone. Organic White.
16. Kitchen: Marble splashback. CDK Stone. Turco Argento.
17. Kitchen: Cupboard doors: Dulux Bear Suit.
18. Kitchen: Regency Board Paint; Dulux Ghosting.
19. Bathroom: Solid timber joinery. Hammercraft. Stained blackbutt.
20. Bathroom: Scoop Soft Touch Basin. Falper. Christalplant Black.
21. Bathroom: Roble Wall tiles. Earp Bros. Boston.
22. Bathroom: Icon tapware. Astra Walker. Chrome.
23. Gas Fireplace: Real Flame Captiva & Heatseeker.
24. External Paving: Blustone Silver Paving . Eco Stone. Flame.
25. Tallowood Decking: by Boon Buliding. Natural.
26. Curtains & Bedspread: by Decorating Recycled. Lounge by Blu Dot. Dining Table & Accessories by Planet Furniture. Dining Chairs by Kezu. Towels & cushions by Spence & Lyda. Leaf chair by Stylecraft.
