Playful colour adds high impact to the renovated 1920s cottage of architects Adam Hobbs and Daina Jamieson. When the couple first saw the then-rundown house on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, they jokingly dubbed it The Spearmint Castle, in reference to its gelato-hued exterior paintwork.

The renovation significantly improved the environmental performance of the dwelling and created a more successful link to the flat rear yard that did not previously exist.

While living in the dilapidated house for four years, the couple vacillated about renovating. “At one stage we thought we’d demolish it, but we ended up refurbishing the front section to retain the home’s history and we only knocked off the rear lean-to…” says Adam.

In its place is a modern addition with clear delineation between old and new. Where the original hallway reaches a recreated kitchen, the change is signalled by a hoop-pine veneer door that matches the new joinery. Adjacent to the kitchen is an open living/dining area and, above that, the main bedroom suite. Importantly, the layout has been turned around so that the living areas no longer face the busy street.

Perfectly Formed. Rearranging the layout and rebuilding the rear of this 1920s Sydney cottage has delivered a light, airy home that’s not too big and not too small but just right, writes Judy Barouch.

Our recent renovation of an early 1900’s cottage in North Manly here on the northern beaches has just been featured in the May 2013 edition of Australian House & Garden Magazine.

The project focused on removing the poorly considered additions of the 1970’s and replacing them with a contemporary home addition that deliberately separated itself materially from the original part of the home that was retained. A more traditional approach was taken for the interior design of the original section, offset by a modern renovation at the rear.