London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

A Cozy Aussie Cottage Hides a Sleek Renovation Behind a Heritage Facade

A Cozy Aussie Cottage Hides a Sleek Renovation Behind a Heritage Facade

A modest weatherboard house receives a playful update to accommodate a family of five in Sydney.

Although Sydney-based architecture firm Clayton Orszaczky dubbed this 1,615-square-foot residence the Workers House, it’s anything but serious business at the welcoming Bondi Junction home. For a young family of five-with a new poodle puppy, Dudley, in tow-the revamped dwelling is a place that celebrates play, not work.



"It’s a humble home with little tweaks that make for playfulness," says Rebekah Clayton, coprincipal at the local firm. These "little tweaks" are an impressive feat given the limitations the architects were faced with when renovating the original timber cottage, such as spatial restrictions, heritage regulations, and budget constraints. The goal was to embrace all that made the Australian weatherboard house special-its cozy details, the verdant garden-and max out the floor plan to better suit the modern family.



For the renovation, the architects decided the original weatherboard facade would stay, but a cantilevered rear addition would be incorporated on top of the existing structure. The interior walls would also be blown out to make way for an open-plan kitchen and living area, as well as three comfortable bedrooms, a trio of bathrooms, and a study-with a few fun details along the way.



Upstairs, bunk beds are notched into the roof of the original cottage, as well as a crawl space that connects the children’s bedrooms. In the kitchen, Smartstone Cararra surfaces are paired with custom polyurethane cabinets that feature routed paneling. A built-in bench for the dining nook features the same charming millwork. Throughout the living areas, oak engineered hardwood brings a layer of warmth to each bright and airy space.



Despite its striking addition and renovation, the Workers House blends in seamlessly with the rest of the neighborhood from the street. "In some ways this house is the opposite of a standout, and that’s what we consider to be its greatest success," Clayton says.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
William and Kate Are Moving House – and the New Neighbors Were Evicted
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
×