This grand Victorian terrace in Sydney’s east had been converted into four apartments during the 1920s austerity era. Our client’s brief was to undo this subdivision and restore the three-level terrace to its former glory.

A discrete new rear addition extends the lower ground level – once a dark, damp laundry – into a new light-filled kitchen and dining area that opens to the garden. The original top level is reconfigured and restored, while the middle, street-level salon and living room, blend materiality and details from the levels above and below – mediating between the old and new.

A palette of natural materials – oak and steel, marble and brass – is used throughout, with different detailing between the new and heritage rooms. The skylit staircase connecting all three levels is simply detailed with a fine oak balustrade that offers a contemporary nod to traditional timber work. Like the reborn house, it is elegant, contemporary and timeless.