china marble, a neighborhood in Sydney, has a checkered past, but that has undoubtedly contributed to the character of the area. These days, it is a sought-after place to live, with workers’ cottages, Victorian rowhouses and converted garages edging its tree-lined streets.
While many of the historical buildings have been transformed into contemporary and cutting-edge abodes, this particular Darlinghurst dwelling, renovated by Sydney architecture firm Pidcock, retains all its charm and character while now being vastly more functional and comfortable. The floor plan of the home was redesigned to create a better sense of flow, suiting the new owners’ love of entertaining. And materials taken from original structures were reused and repurposed to preserve the home’s history and sense of place.
Midcentury Exterior by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
china marble at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their dog, Phoenix, and occasional visitors
Location: Darlinghurst area of Sydney
Size: 1,862 square feet (173 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms; garage-studio (not pictured) with one bedroom, one bathroom
Designers: Architect: Pidcock; landscape design: Georgina Reid of The Planthunter
china marble Midcentury Landscape by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The homeowners’ key desire was to open up their home to the site and their improved garden. “The renovation needed to fix the shortcomings while maintaining and improving the best of the house and its location,” architect and director Caroline Pidcock says. “It was also quickly identified that the house had a certain charm, with sandstone and brickwork contributing to a wonderful historical character.”
china marble Midcentury Living Room by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The front door of the house opens to a living room full of original charm and character.
Midcentury Living Room by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Before the renovation, the existing house had a poorly planned and built rear addition (that leaked) and an inadequate kitchen. Pidcock’s first step was to assess how the various spaces in the house flowed into one another, noting where they facilitated movement and where they didn’t.
A more efficient spatial plan resulted from the redesign, allowing for easier transition between spaces. “The clients love to entertain,” Pidcock says, “and the layout had to foster casual and friendly interactions. The aim was to provide a series of spaces that open the [first-floor] kitchen and living areas to each other and the garden.”
Midcentury Living Room by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
“From the very beginning there was a focus on proposed materials; they had to be simple, honest and raw,” Pidcock says.
Midcentury Living Room by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
As such, the existing exposed brickwork walls and wood flooring have been retained. A gas fire was added to the existing fireplace, and cabinets and shelves were built in on either side. A raised hearth in front of the fireplace doubles as extra seating for guests.
Midcentury Living Room by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Midcentury furniture, lighting and objects enhance the home’s sense of history and reflect the clients’ interest in color and design. “The clients have a great sense of color and were willing to experiment in different spaces,” Pidcock says.
Midcentury Kitchen by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The living room leads to the kitchen positioned in the center of the first floor. This is a busy space and has been designed as an easily navigated hub. Surrounding this energetic core are quieter living spaces, purpose-built as calmer, more restful areas that support privacy and personal time as much as socialization.
Midcentury Kitchen by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Indeed, every room has been located and designed to be a space that can be moved through but that is also a haven from movement. This is evident in the kitchen, where a passage on one side of the island can be freely and easily moved through, while the cooking and preparatory space on the other side of the island is away from passers-by.
A wine rack has been built into the former fireplace, and a picture window brings light into the space and offers views to the garden outside.
Midcentury Dining Room by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The dining room has also been relocated and is now in a new room that opens to the covered patio and garden. Flexibility was an important factor throughout the renovation, and the living and dining rooms have been designed to be interchangeable depending on the couple’s needs.
As seen here, the dining room is furnished with a midcentury table and Grant Featherston’s classic D350 chairs.
Midcentury Staircase by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Behind the dining area, the stairs between the first and second floor have been upgraded with improved lighting and a wood screen in place of the handrail.
Midcentury Bedroom by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Upstairs, there are two bedrooms and a bathroom. One bedroom is on the second floor, and the other is in the attic.
Midcentury Bedroom by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The pitched roof of the attic bedroom creates interesting architectural and spatial features, while a newly added dormer window filters natural light into the room.
Midcentury Bathroom by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The bathroom was previously located in the back of the house on the first floor but has been moved to a former walk-through room upstairs, which allows for a corridor to the rear dressing room and terrace.
Like the living room, the bathroom reflects the residents’ interest in color with vibrant orange cabinetry complemented by Moroccan tiles.
Midcentury by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Midcentury Bathroom by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Downstairs, a narrow room accommodating a shower-bath has been added to sit off the covered patio. “It is enclosed with recycled bricks and colored glass louvers to bring warmth and delight,” Pidcock says.
Midcentury Landscape by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Outside, a shaded garden sits underneath the second-floor terrace. “We created this space so that it feels part of the surrounding garden, while being very private and able to be used in all weather,” Pidcock says.
Certainly, privacy was a key concern in such a densely housed neighborhood, with many houses and apartments overlooking the garden and windows.
Midcentury Landscape by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
The materials used outside are as raw and honest as those featured inside the house, and they have been taken from the original structure and reused wherever possible. Wood shingles salvaged from the original roof now enclose the water tank in the garden, and a large wood beam from the back addition serves as a garden seat.
Eclectic by PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
PIDCOCK - Architecture + Sustainability
Warm, natural materials, each with their own sense of history, help to make the garden a natural, nurturing oasis in the inner-city suburb. It is a place for the couple to retreat to when they need to relax and recharge.
Landscape construction: Michael Fisher of Earthtone
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