The c1895 stone frontage cottage, turned post-war sanctuary and then art deco love story, braved the subsequent century, with a patchwork of additions slowly constricting the living spaces and starving them of light. Stripped of its baggage, including an unsympathetic verandah sunroom, the restored cottage façade and rooms re-establish the home’s original character.

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Beyond the threshold of old and new, walls dissolve as a central joinery divider continues the original spine and organises public and private spaces. Housing the kitchen, entertainment and storage, the finely crafted American oak timber functional core streamlines spatial efficiency, unlocking greatly improved modern amenity within a deceptively compact footprint.

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The plan contorts itself towards the sun and gestures away from the compression of the boundary, now embracing deeper diagonal views into the landscape and a seamless connection from the original cottage sitting room all the way through to the alfresco and workshop beyond.