Cart 
This Queenslander’s weatherboard cottage doesn’t give much away about the renovation that lies inside — and that’s exactly how it was designed.
The owners first moved into the Kelvin Grove property since 2014, but in that time, the young family had begun to outgrow the original timber cottage and its tin extension at the rear.
‘With strong ties to local schools and friends, the decision was [made] to renovate, opposed to leaving the area, and create a flexible home with more space for their young and growing family and to support a busy, working-from-home lifestyle,’ Maytree Studios creative director Rebecca Caldwell says.
‘The clients brought us images of spaces they admired, and these had a real mix of warmth, light industrial touches and modernity.
‘They wanted the home to inspire curiosity and surprise, for it to not give away too much from the street, but to really open up and out upon arrival.’
This inspired Maytree Studios to retain the original weatherboard at the front, turning it into the bedroom wing, while the former addition was replaced with a ‘tight but voluminous’ extension, expanding the footprint to just 200 square metres.
In line with the original bones, the new exterior is also painted white to maintain the house’s simple charm from the street. Inside however, the tall structure holds the core living spaces that open directly onto a courtyard and gardens.
There are plenty of unique details across the pared-back interiors; from the kitchen with a moveable island bench that caters to the client’s love of both cooking and hosting guests, to the parent’s retreat hidden in the loft above, crafted from plywood and lime-washed timber. At the intersection between old and new, a glass roof with white-timber batten fills the rooms with sunlight.
‘It provides a soft wash of light that changes over the day and seasons in intensity, but marks that important transition,’ Rebecca adds.
A central staircase with floating steps beside a wall lined in green Artedomus tiles also adds a sense of drama, enhanced by Maytree Studios’ choice to sacrifice ‘valuable floor space’ for a two-storey void that successfully bounces light around the addition — making the modest footprint feel large and generous.
‘The clients came to us with a desire to push the boundaries of what this project could do and how specifically it could meet their family’s needs,’ Rebecca says.
‘Queensland has very big homes, and this project challenges that while still providing a functional family home, that doesn’t compromise on design.’
