Leichhardt House by Porebski Architects
Leichhardt House by Porebski Architects combines an orchestra of materials to create a dynamic, texture-rich family home.
Words: Georgie Ward I Photography: Tom Ferguson
The new addition sympathetically ties in with the original cottage front, aided by the neutral finishes. Photo: Tom Ferguson
A delicate timber batten screen forms the staircase, allowing more light into the downstairs spaces. Photo: Tom Ferguson
A skylight above the central void brings light into the kitchen and centre of the house. Photo: Tom Ferguson
The 1882 worker’s cottage located in the heart of Sydney’s inner west sees a grand re-do of its interiors, transforming it into a series of generous living spaces and light filled areas for contemporary family living.
Porebski Architects maximised the space, creating a design that takes advantage of the gradual landfall allowing for a transition of volumes as the house steps down from the street to the rear living area and surrounding garden.
While the renovation adds a few new fresh touches, the additions sympathetically tie in with the original cottage front and are aided by the chosen finishes to seamlessly tie the aesthetics. A nod to the home owner’s history is seen in the etched entry doors fanlight, reading ‘Cymru’ (Wales), a homage to the family’s Welsh ancestry.
The ground floor accommodates a stylish family living area, kitchen and one bedroom, while the upper floor contains two more bedrooms and bathrooms which are connected via the hallway with a study. The upper-floor bathroom is a showpiece in itself, embellished with honeycomb tiles in every shade of green and blue.
Below ground level sits a mini cellar accessed via the living room providing an element of surprise. The home has a central void that’s encased by a grand circular skylight, allowing sunlight to flood the house and hallway below.
The finishes palette includes striking granite, quartzite, and terrazzo with natural timber floors and veneer offset by white walls and polyurethane joinery. Photo: Tom Ferguson
A crucial element in the design are the skylights, which run from a central void and the length of the northern wall of the living area. Photo: Tom Ferguson
“The brief was to convert the typical L-shaped layout of the original house into one that maximised the site whilst respecting the parameters.”
The finishes palette includes striking granite, quartzite, and terrazzo with natural timber floors and veneer joinery. Photo: Tom Ferguson
The design takes advantage of the gradual landfall creating a transition of volumes as the house steps down from the street to the rear living area and garden. Photo: Tom Ferguson
Moving outdoors, a curved concrete bench seat wraps around the garden's outskirts, surrounded by a bed of olive and bay trees with vertical climbers that overpour with scattering vines.
Internally the finishes palette is refined but rich in texture using striking granite, quartzite and terrazzo with its natural timber floors offset by crisp white walls. A delicate timber batten screen shelters the staircase, and is repeated throughout the home, from the table legs to the pantry’s fold-out doors.
The extensive renovation is concealed behind the unassuming frontage, traditionally finished with steel palisade fencing and tessellated tiles. Visitors to the house are continually surprised at how generous the areas feel, given the modest floorplan.
The mosaic tiled ensuite in the upper level of the home. Photo: Tom Ferguson
The first floor contains two more bedrooms and bathrooms, which are connected via a hallway with a study. Photo: Tom Ferguson
The brief was to convert the typical L-shaped layout of the original house into one that maximized the site whilst respecting the parameters. Photo: Tom Ferguson
