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‘When working on beautiful old terrace houses such as this, I am conscious that once original fabric is removed, it is gone forever,’ BASE architect Jessica Bradley says of her recent Redfern project.
The house is part of a heritage-listed terrace row that was constructed in around 1864, so preserving its historical appeal while renovating the rear wing of the home was of the utmost importance.
The owners engaged Jessica to design a new kitchen fit out with a focus on improving access to natural light, and building connection to the sandstone courtyard garden on the northern boundary of the home.
Something was instantly endearing about the property’s patchwork of sandstock brickwork, which Jessica recognised as Australia’s earliest bricks, ‘characterised by rich earthy tones and inconsistent colouring’.
‘I felt incredibly drawn to the array of masonry textures already present on the site. Existing brick boundary walls already presented as a physical and visual enclosure of the site, so in contrast, I wanted to open up the dwelling somewhat,’ she says.
A series of deliberate design manoeuvres bring newfound daylight into the otherwise dark entrance hallway. A wall of glass sliding doors now links the kitchen and dining areas to the courtyard, as dappled light filters through the timber awnings overhead.
In the updated kitchen, Victorian ash veneer joinery extends the length of a shared wall to incorporate under-stair storage, a euro laundry, kitchen and a built-in seat for the dining area.
The high cabinets were left their natural colour to match the sandy flooring, but the rest were stained a calming medium-green colour, as a playful touch to enhance the timber’s natural grain.
‘It didn’t feel right to install glossy polyurethane cabinetry inside the brick and dark timber heritage home within its beautifully textured masonry setting,’ Jessica says of the creative approach.
A large plinth of Patagonia quartzite serves as the kitchen island, while the home’s original bricks were salvaged and repurposed in an outdoor bench seat and new studio at the rear.
Without pretending to be from the original fabric, the completed renovation complements the existing textures and materiality, successfully breathing new life into the old home.
When construction got underway, Jessica went on maternity leave and handed the project over to Hicks and Holmested, who worked with Rise Architectural Builders on the final stages.
It was all relatively smooth sailing. Except, for when the teams noticed the existing terrace had sunk on its rock foundations, and had to be entirely underpinned.
‘It was a significant undertaking, but it will ensure the terrace lasts for another 150 years and more,’ Jessica says.
