Haines Street is a restored 1892 weatherboard cottage in Hawthorn, extended for a young family. On a 234-square-metre site, the brief involved rejuvenating the original heritage facade and front rooms, and opening the house to a new courtyard at the rear. The courtyard knits together the new addition and the existing garage, which, fitted with glass sliding doors, now extends the outdoor entertaining space and frames a view of the owners’ Datsun from the living room.

The clients asked us to approach the renovation of the front rooms with enthusiasm for contemporary technology and respect for the original details. That spirit led us to work with a sense of fun and colour. Original features were reinstated and each room given its own character. The children’s bedroom is pink, and the study sage, lined in walnut cabinetry built to house the family’s collection of retro televisions and gaming consoles.

Behind the heritage roofline, the new addition begins at a threshold marked by an arched timber and fluted-glass door, a motif that returns upstairs. At ground level, a kitchen, dining and living space in Tasmanian oak joinery opens through full-height glazing onto the brick-paved courtyard. The garage beyond, with its raised roof and glazed doors has become a place that’s fun to occupy.

Upstairs, the parents’ suite was briefed to be like a hotel room, and is lined in American walnut by Inner West Joinery with marquetry sliding doors, crafted by Anton Gerner, that function as window furnishings. The ensuite opens to a rooftop courtyard, a low-maintenance, private retreat.

Throughout, the renovation was approached in the same spirit as the owners’ own Datsun restoration: respect for the history and quality of the original, with modern technology and building practice introduced where it counts.

Animation
Foomannimation by Isobel Knowles

Kid’s Bedroom
A heritage front room given its own character in pink, original fireplace and cornice repaired and retained

Study + Games Room
Walnut joinery set against a sage palette with a unit to house a collection of antique gaming consoles.

Threshold
An arched timber and fluted-glass door marks the passage between old and new, beside the new stair.

Bedroom Suite + Marquetry Detail
Lined in American walnut veneer with marquetry sliding doors as window furnishings.

Bedhead and Daybed
Walnut veneer and upholstery finishes are carried through.

Ensuite to Rooftop
The ensuite is lined in a pattern of soft tones tiles and opens to a private rooftop courtyard

Upper Volume
Perforated aluminium allows the bedroom’s tilt-and-turn windows to fully open safely. External materials are durable and maintenance free.