Mosman House
The focus for this project was to transform a large (but dark and inefficient) federation house, with an existing but convoluted attic level, into a light filled contemporary family home for all seasons with an improved physical and visual connection to the garden and pool.
Year
2024
Location
Mosman NSW
Team
John Wilkin, Paul Barton, Sarah Cavanan, Brien Kwong
Photographer
Ben Guthrie
Media
Builder
ESB Constructions
Interiors

Our main design move was to cut a deep vertical slot into the floor plate on the Western elevation to carry a sculptural open riser stair in a glazed light-well,  and to tie the house together.  The closed rear facade was replaced with operable glazing over a new deep window seat and bi-folding doors introduced to allow for ease of access and transparency. The kitchen was reorientated to face the garden and the old dining room bay window re-imagined as a terrace, reducing and clarifying the kitchen/living/dining space into a singular open plan space.  New gables to match the existing fabric were added front and back to improve the spatial quality of the upstairs bedroom spaces and to reconcile the random roof scape / elevations of the original house into a cohesive expression.

We always consider it important to respect and enhance the character of classic federation homes like this, so interventions include familial elements like timber fretwork, arches and tessellated tiles.  Otherwise the new interiors are light, soft and neutral with strong charcoal highlights reflecting the updated external palette,  with modern interpretations of traditional elements expressed in the joinery, lighting and details.

We approached Bennett Murada for some ideas to help us navigate a potential development next door which had us despondent. We needed to balance the need for more privacy with making the rooms functional for our family. We already had a nice home with some character but the spaces didn’t work. Some clever ideas have seen our home completely transformed. Every space is maximised and light-filled – it feels like our home has doubled in size and is appropriate for our three growing children. We are really proud of the enhanced Federation characteristics which the whole street benefits from and loves. These features were achieved while still delivering the benefits of a brand-new home. We were given expert advice throughout the whole process down to details including flooring, finishes, appliances, fixtures & fittings. The team at Bennett Murada worked seamlessly with our builders to avoid delays and deliver a product we are extremely happy with.
Julia and Jordan Rogers
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