A Heritage Cottage Reworked for Modern Living - and Long-term Value

A small house, considered

What started as a dark, tightly planned worker’s cottage is now a calm, light-filled home that lives larger than its footprint. Reimagined as a first home for a young family, Hargrave Cottage demonstrates how thoughtful architectural intervention can transform daily life, while quietly strengthening a property’s long-term value.

Contemporary kitchen paying homage to the rhythm and cadence of the heritage cottage structure.

Photography - Nic Gossage

Editorial Styling - Corina Koch

The house

Hargrave Cottage is one of the few remaining timber workers’ cottages in the Paddington Conservation Area. Owners Josh and Sally (plus Blue the cat) rented the inner Sydney home for two years before buying it at auction in 2020. Built in the late 1800s, it came with charm and plenty of original curb appeal, namely the bullnose verandah and iron lacework. But behind the charming mint green front door was a fragmented floor plan, very little natural light, and the constraints of a protected heritage setting.

The brief

Respect the heritage. Make it functional. Flood it with light.

Josh and Sally sought a home that balanced privacy with openness, and everyday living with a love of entertaining, without erasing the character that drew them to the cottage in the first place. The challenge was to navigate a strict heritage overlay and compact urban site, while shaping a home that could adapt as their lives evolved.

Our clients, Sally and Josh, have enjoyed the journey of renovating their beautiful heritage cottage.

Photography - Jason Henley for BresicWhitney, see more here.

The Approach

The cottage’s unusually square footprint became a key design driver. We reworked the floor plan to open the home, improve flow and bring light deep into the interior, making every square metre earn its place.

Formerly a one-bedroom home with service areas squeezed into the top floor, the upstairs was reconfigured to accommodate two bedrooms, a bathroom and study. Downstairs, a once dead-end zone, was transformed into an open-plan kitchen, dining and living space. Full-height stacker doors open to a north-facing private courtyard, maximising space and liveability from sun-up to sun-down and dissolving the line between inside and out.

Light now dances through the house, drawn from a skylight above the stair and filtered across levels through the perforated steel landing and balustrade. Creamy terrazzo floors, exposed timber ceilings, VJ walls and natural stone evoke warm, peaceful nostalgia while maintaining continuity between old and new.

With a compact footprint and no room for excess, every inch was considered for functionality. Kitchen appliances were concealed behind joinery and storage was carefully planned, right down to where the vacuum cleaner lived. Custom-built cabinetry encircles the living space, doubling as seating and extra storage, while an upper-level workspace adds flexibility.

Modern comforts are seamlessly integrated throughout the house: ducted air-conditioning, underfloor heating, home automation, and even three-phase power for an electric vehicle, all supporting contemporary living without disrupting the heritage charm.

What our clients said

“We wanted the best of both worlds, and I think we got it,” Sally tells Domain.

See the incredible before and after.

The value

Years later, the home still delights: light-filled, flexible, and easy to live in. In 2026, with a growing family, Josh and Sally sold Hargrave Cottage under the hammer for $2.25M. The project shows how thoughtful design can breathe new life into a home – and increase its value along the way.

Thinking about renovating?

Let’s talk about how your home could work harder for you. Book a call here.

Builder - Insync Projects