Hindly & Co. retained part of the original four rooms of this Victorian timber house, reworking some of these spaces to include a guest bedroom and a room simply for storing the family’s bikes. “Though we managed to save the front section of the house, it was in a completely dilapidated state,” Anne says. 

The only hint of what’s in store is the steel and arched glass door at the end of the passage, providing a glimpse through the open plan kitchen, living and dining area. Complete with ox-blood kitchen joinery with a punchy orange arched door that leads to a scullery; it contrasts the creams and off-whites used in the original portion of the home. In contrast to these orthogonal rooms, the new wing, comprising three levels, features concrete block walls. Rather than following from the line of the hallway, the new wing features a 15-metre-long passage, complete with arched doors to access the main garden. “Our clients weren’t looking for the usual back garden but more akin to the Mediterranean-style gardens they saw in Barcelona,” Anne says, whose sculptural stairwell, with its rhythm of slot windows, also has a loose Gaudi feel. 

The architect appreciated the home’s access to southern light and, at the same time, “scooped sunlight from other directions”. A ceiling cut out with a large skylight diffuses light in the hallway, where a Japanese maple tree is embedded in the limed oak floors. A central void wrapped in glass, featuring an established tree, blurs the boundaries between inside and out, as does the use of mirror. “The kitchen’s walk-in pantry lies behind our mirrored ‘Bento Box’ which also discreetly houses the bar,” Susi says. Which also discreetly houses the bar,” Susi says, “It brings the landscape into the room and creates a soft vibration of shifting greenery and southern light.” Marmorino polished plaster walls also gently reflects light while recessive architectural lighting highlights the home’s curved edges.