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Real reno: Architect’s inner-city cottage reimagined

By Amy Collins-Walker • Leave a Comment

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Located in a gritty inner-city Melbourne suburb, ‘Valiant House’ is a masculine-edged, contemporary transformation of an original workers’ cottage that befits its industrial heritage. “Many of these small workers’ cottages are being demolished in the surrounding streets to make way for townhouse developments and glitzy apartment buildings but we wanted to preserve the history of the original house,” says the home’s owner and architect Anna Rozen from A for Architecture who lives in it with her partner, two children and the family dog.

Valiant House
Dining, kitchen & living

The original home was a traditional, small, unrenovated cottage with minimal windows and zero outlook but with an expanding family, Anna was hesitant to leave the inner-city for something more suitable and decided to renovate instead. “My partner and I both worked within walking distance of the house and childcare and school were also in walking distance. We didn’t want to move further out to the ‘burbs to establish our family home so we set about designing a family home that would suit the needs of our growing family but that was set on a small footprint,” says Anna.

Bathroom
Bathroom
Valiant House
Skylights fill the rear extension with natural light

The total site area is 180 square metres and the block is long and narrow – at just six metres wide and 30 metres long Anna’s central challenge was fitting in all of the requirements of a family home. “The main factors we considered were creating a sense of space on a small block, maximising the connection between the garden and the living spaces, allowing the kids their own space to make mess that was separate from the main living space and incorporating a home office. All of this aside, my main objective was allowing the mess and clutter of everyday family living to be hidden. Every inch of the house needed to be considered and functional,” says Anna.

Unlike the original home, the new design connects it directly with the rear garden
Unlike the original home, the new design connects directly with the rear garden

Testament to her commitment to maintaining as many of the home’s original features as possible, the original boundary brick walls were retained complete with old glue, cracks and nails. “They were given a fresh coat of paint. The painted chevrons playfully allow a glimpse to the old bricks below and the shapes of the chevron reference the pitched roof forms of the house,” says Anna.

Valiant House
Original boundary walls are a feature in the lounge room

The standout area of the home is perhaps the kitchen and living area; a centralised timber box. “While the front portion of the original house containing two bedrooms was retained, the back of the house was re-imagined into one large open volume that stretches the full width of the site. The services of the house – bathroom, laundry and kitchen – have all been located within a timber-clad box in the centre of the plan. The timber box conceals the family bathroom, a laundry and an appliance cupboard, pantry and fridge. Hidden doors within the box can be ‘opened’ while the house is in use, or ‘closed’ to hide the clutter behind,” says Anna. Genius!

The kitchen appliances are cleverly hidden behind stylish cabinetry
The kitchen appliances are cleverly hidden behind stylish cabinetry

And Anna is rightfully proud of how her clever design ideas tackled the challenges of small-footprint living. “We designed the house to our specific needs – not with a real estate agent or resale in mind. The house is on a small footprint, but due to the considered planning of every nook and cranny it’s more than enough space for us. We’ve been able to turn an inherently dark housing typology with a south-facing garden into a light-filled, spacious house fit for a family of four and their dog.”

Study
Study

Valiant House

Valiant House will be open to view as part of the upcoming Open House Melbourne 2019 Weekend that is taking place on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 July.

Photography: Peter Bennetts

The full Open House Melbourne 2019 program | Another Victorian cottage renovation

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June 27, 2019

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Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3? Just 3 of the kitch Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3?

Just 3 of the kitchens in the @duluxaus Colour Awards 2023 shortlist which will give you some serious inspiration!

Loads more gorgeous residential rooms to see on the blog this morning via link in bio.

Projects by @studio__bright @kaiko_design and Georgie Shepherd Interior Design. Pix by @arorygardiner @fiona_susanto and @christophermorrisphoto 

#duluxcolour #duluxpaint #duluxaus #duluxcolourawards #duluxcolourawards2023 #moodykitchen #allwhitekitchen #designerkitchen #sagekitchen #boldkitchen #colourfulkitchen #colouredkitchen #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount
We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony m We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony makeover using @kmartaus stone tiles!

Nineties townhouse in Lennox Head or villa in Greece? You decide! All up it cost $2000 including all materials and she did the work herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

#kmartaustralia #kmartdiy #kmarthack #kmarthome #modernmediterranean #balconymakeover #balconyideas #diybalcony #budgetdiy #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Wallpaper in every single room! What do you recko Wallpaper in every single room!

What do you reckon? You'd think it would be overkill but it isn't because so many of the designs are subtle yet still impactful.

Head over to the blog to see how @grafico_walls transformed this blank canvas Melbourne townhouse with their products, which you've probably seen on The Block over the years. And read how Damian Corney has grown this Melbourne business with wife Adele and a growing team. There's also a look inside the very cool Motley Hotel which has used a whopping 4km of their wallpaper throughout!

You can also watch a video tour with Bec Douros as the house featured on Open Homes Australia over the weekend.

Via link in bio now.

#wallpapergoals #wallpaperdesign #australianwallart #australianwallpaper #wallmurals #wallpapermural #wallpapermurals #wallpapereddoor #digitalwallpaper #digitallyprintedwallpaper #customwallpaper #wallpaperaesthetic #wallpapertrends #wallpaperaustralia #grafico #graficowallcoverings #melbournebusiness #melbournesmallbusiness #openhomesaustralia #theblock #becdouros
Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! 

Braved the rain second morning in a row to feed the animals at @edenfarmescape because life's too short to worry about a bit of mud and drizzle!

Feeling relaxed 🥰
Did you see this cracking little transformation on Did you see this cracking little transformation on @sellinghousesaus last night?

We have all the finer details on the blog today via link in bio. Particularly love the kitchen refresh using the existing blue cupboards which really weren't doing anything for me before 😂

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #beforeandafterkitchen #beforeandafterrenovation #beforeandafterlivingroom #renoshow #realreno #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #bluekitchen #budgetkitchenmakeover #budgetdiy #budgetmakeover
How's this for a compact back yard TRANSFORMATION? How's this for a compact back yard TRANSFORMATION?!

Our friends at @mintdesignau have done it again!

Homeowner Briony Marsh says: It’s totally changed our home lifestyle now we can sit outside on the lounge in the sun or shade, be in the pool, spa, sauna or cooking pizzas and hanging out with friends. It sounds cliched but it really feels like we are on holiday at home!”

Head over to the blog to see the finer details, including a sauna and a seriously good looking copper pizza oven. There's a lot packed into this space!

#backyards #smallpools #smallpool #homesauna #pizzaovens #outdoorpizzaoven #landscapedesigner #mintdesign #holidayathome #resortstylehomes #landscapeartist #backyard #exteriorinspiration #exteriormakeover #exteriordesigns #pergoladesign #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Swipe for before & afters of today's real reno. L Swipe for before & afters of today's real reno.

Located inside a 1912 sandstone villa in Adelaide’s Kensington, this bathroom makeover combines classic and contemporary elements that complement the home’s original, period features. 

Designed by the home’s owner @designby_Tahirih, who is a property stylist too, the renovation came sooner than expected after water ingress made the makeover of their only bathroom an urgent necessity!

The whole project cost an impressive $20k, project managed herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

#realrenovations #realhomes #realreno #heartyourhome #renoaddict #freestandingbath #classicbathroom #classiccontemporary #classiccontemporaryinteriors #theinteriorsaddict  #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #homestaging #laundrymakeover #bathroomrenovations #bathroomremodels
Maybe it's an antidote to the grey weather but we Maybe it's an antidote to the grey weather but we find some of the most colourful interiors from my motherland, the UK!

This beautiful lilac kitchen is found in a renovated apartment by @llidesign in a grand mansion block in London's Bloomsbury. You can tour the rest of it on the blog now, via link in bio.

#londonapartment #bloomsbury
#bloomsburylondon #luxuryapartment #westendlondon #lilackitchen #colourfulkitchen #londonhome #londonhomes #londoninteriordesigner #londoninteriors #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsdaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #kitchenshelf #kitchenshelves #kitchenshelfie #openshelves #openshelvingkitchen
I remember the chair being such a key purchase whe I remember the chair being such a key purchase when I put together my first ever baby room for Seb. I spent many an evening relaxing on mine while pregnant as I tried to get my head around impending motherhood! Not only are glider recliners like the Chelsea from @iltutto the most comfortable chairs EVER for those many hours spent feeding and settling, why shouldn't they look this good too, am I right?!

Did you love your nursery chair? Did it look this good?!

See more on the Il Tutto Chelsea Glider Recliner Chair via link in bio now.

#feedingchair #nurserychair #nursingchair #reclinerchair #nurseryroomdecor #nursery #nurserygoals #nurserydesign #babyroomdecoration #babyrooms #babyroominspo #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #iltutto #newmumlife
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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