Industrial Affability – Leichhardt Warehouse by Petar Danicic Architect

Leichhardt Warehouse is a three-bedroom home in Sydney’s inner west designed by architect Petar Danicic for his family. Encased in the shell of an industrial art deco building, this home expresses a boldness that matches its 1930s character with elevated, contemporary details throughout.

Beyond the attractive art deco façade, the interiority of this intriguing home centres – figuratively and literally – around a double-height internal atrium. Petar, who renovated the warehouse four years ago and has since called it home with his wife and two daughters, says “it’s not a conventional dwelling with parcels of rooms. It’s very interactive and all the living spaces and bedrooms have an orientation towards this central atrium.” Aside from its obvious functional attributes such as cross flow ventilation, natural light and views to nature with thanks to planting by Cactus Vision, there is an indescribable pull towards this airy pod. Crafted from reclaimed timber and with an adjustable automatic louvre roof, it creates porosity in the building, boldly punctuating the plan as an enclosed outdoor area and positively influencing the residential amenity. “We find ourselves having the roof open in spring, summer and autumn,” Petar offers, describing it as a “house that lives metaphorically day and night.”

“It’s not a conventional dwelling with parcels of rooms. It’s very interactive and all the living spaces and bedrooms have an orientation towards this central atrium,” says architect Petar Danicic, who renovated the warehouse four years ago for his family.

The home expresses a wonderful patina in line with its industrial bones. This was an active pursuit for Petar, who was determined to craft a contemporary identity to complement the warehouse’s robust nature. As such, the materiality speaks to a layered and rudimentary approach, featuring steel, various repurposed materials found on site prior to construction, exposed original brickwork and local hardwoods including reclaimed railway sleepers and eucalypt. Also, the joinery is constructed from plywood, and a stair that leads to the master bedroom on the mezzanine is constructed from folded steel plate – a fitting choice and a nice nod to the exposed steel trusses. “We were attempting to keep a flavour that was akin to a useable warehouse. It doesn’t have polished paint finishes or marble – the level of finish and detail is quite toned down,” Petar explains.

Yet “toned down” is not to be confused with unconsidered; this aesthetic is entirely relevant for the appealingly unconventional domestic environment, and there are elevated moments that counter it just so. The three bathrooms feature sophisticated mosaic-tiled floors and contemporary fixtures and finishes; there is gallery track lighting throughout as well as LED laser blades, while the kitchen is anchored by an almost four-metre-long stainless steel island bench adjacent to a glass splashback revealing original brickwork. This level of refinement – which extends to the self-contained studio or optional fourth bedroom with a private courtyard located at the front of the site – sees this warehouse embrace its elemental character through an amenable lens.

“We were attempting to keep a flavour that was akin to a useable warehouse. It doesn’t have polished paint finishes or marble – the level of finish and detail is quite toned down,” Petar explains.

While much of this home is focused on the internal liveability, its context and relationship to the street are favourable attributes, too. Leichhardt Warehouse’s street presence is undeniable; its 1930s-era characteristics have been restored and the stepped parapet suggests grandeur. Further, with help from Bell Landscapes, Petar and his family have tended to the landscaping over the years, creating garden beds framed in raw steel and brickwork. Also, they installed galvanised mesh screens on the front windows which act as a framework upon which greenery grows, providing privacy to the street-facing rooms. As Petar explains, the home’s prominent location on a popular walking and cycling path means passers-by are frequent and interaction with the home’s exterior a regular occurrence. “Joggers, cyclists, dog walkers – [they] always stop to regard the front of the property so for us, that’s a wonderful outcome.”

Despite – or perhaps, because of – the absence of a traditional backyard, this building has become his family’s sanctuary over the years they resided within it. However, as his two 10-year-old daughters grow older, the Danicic family have passed Leichhardt Warehouse onto its next residents. In this endeavour, they enlisted the help of property group BresicWhitney. As an established property group with 20 years of experience leading Sydney’s real estate landscape through design-led listings, BresicWhitney proved to be the ideal partnership. The group’s consistent representation of such homes, and its ability to celebrate their nuances, stories and inhabitants, neatly reflect this. It is an approach that continues to resonate with likeminded clients across Sydney, and one that felt entirely apt for the future of Leichhardt Warehouse.

Architecturally-designed homes – or those simply crafted with design-led intent – often possess elevated experiential qualities, heightened detail, a consideration for context or a distinct sense of place. Leichhardt Warehouse encompasses many of these traits, and while one could call to question Petar’s bias on the topic, he attests to the home’s “wonderful attributes” and its ability to offer “a new experience no matter which space you’re in.” With detail and character its defining qualities, Leichhardt Warehouse will now experience its next layer of patina with new custodians at its helm.