Contemporary Heritage Restoration

Thanet, a NSW Heritage listed home (b.1903), built in the Arts and Crafts style, is a rare surviving example of a timber cottage in Sydney's Woollahra. The original home was designed and built in the United States (c.1901), and shipped to Australia where it was constructed.

The home had reached the point in her 120 year life where she needed the right custodian to help her achieve her next 100 years. Her current owners were determined to make this happen, willing to undertake the necessary, careful and respectful remediation and renovation works required to transform her into a home which supports the demands of today’s family living, whilst maintaining the original charm and heritage significance of the property.

Central to this brief was connecting the romance of the original heritage house with the contemporary pavilion (b.1994) by way of a new modern extension, to create a seamless, cohesive flow between the two buildings and indoor and outdoor living. This project was not just about connecting the ‘old’ and ‘new’ parts of the house. It was about respecting the way in which we used to live, and envisaging new, modern living spaces to align with how we live today – all in the context of maintaining the beauty and charm of the heritage home.