For a renovation and addition success story, we look to Studio Prineas. Since their Allen Key House was first published on est it hasn’t stopped attracting praise, about the way light and greenery enters the kitchen and living areas, or how they preserved the existing home’s bungalow character. 

Following the success of Allen Key House, Breeze Block House and House Elysium is Nat’s House; a three-bedroom Federation cottage extension and renovation in Cammeray, Sydney. Just as in the projects that came before, the studio’s mission was to create a seamless living space, provide a fluid connection with the outdoors and capture natural light. Removing an old, poorly hewn predecessor from the original home and introducing a dynamic, reclaimed brick addition, the result is as simple as the Studio Prineas team puts it: pure family joy. 

When the Studio Prineas team were first introduced to the former house, it was characterised by poorly-lit interiors and living spaces kept separate from the garden. Studio Prineas dissolved the project down to two twin challenges: creating a connection with the garden and introducing  natural light. Their response was to maintain the original cottage but demolish the addition attached some years later and replace it with a superior north-facing brick extension.

Studio Prineas changed the level between the original and the new structure in order to create a level connection with the garden. By maintaining the home’s existing roof line for the extension, Studio Prineas have allowed for a grand ceiling height within, emphasised by the north-facing skylight that runs along the full width of the addition. The layout is not a typical open-plan configuration, where the living, dining and kitchen areas are defined but connected, to meet the functional needs of the family occupants. 

Further expanding the sense of space in Nat’s House is a link to the outdoors in every room, be it physically or visually. The new addition shares the ease of opening up the living onto the outdoor dining area and beyond to borrow space and greenery, while welcoming a gentle breeze. 

Inside, light has become one of the decorative features of this new space, highlighting the spatially rich interior and its varying textures. White painted recycled brick, polished concrete, stone, grooved joinery and brass details offer a tactile quality, enriching the light and airy atmosphere with the raw warmth of natural materials. The daylight works in tandem with the artificial lighting scheme that’s concealed in the joinery and ceiling. Statement lighting includes the Y Chandelier 03 by Douglas and Bec and the IC Light S Pendant by Michael Anastassiades. Other interior highlights include the Wilfred Armchair by Jardan, Bell Coffee Table by Sebastian Herkner, Armadillo & Co. rug and Rogerseller fixtures.

An increase of just nine square metres onto the footprint of the original house has transformed the home’s functionality, atmosphere and aesthetic. In a bid to open up, improve connection and harness natural light, Studio Prineas have created an ideal home to grow up in.