New Line House
Studio Prineas has reinvented New Line House – a 1960s project home in Sydney’s north – for contemporary living while remaining respectful of its mid-century heritage.
This residence in East Ryde, Sydney, was the product of a mid-century collaboration between project-home builder Pettit & Sevitt and Australian architects Ken Woolley and Michael Dysart. They partnered to build architectural homes in the suburbs – particularly in northern Sydney – that were functional, affordable and readily adaptable to the complexities of the surrounding terrain. New Line House is an example of the project’s Lowline design and is one of the best-preserved instances of this style. The brief to Studio Prineas from the client – who grew up in the home and recently inherited it – was to respect the residence’s legacy while bringing it up to date in terms of flow and size.
The original building was a single-level home with a flat roof, exposed beams, stained timber cladding and timber windows. Rather than expanding out, Studio Prineas built up, adding a second storey with four bedrooms and a sitting room. The new level continues the home’s heritage style, as it aligns with the original brick piers and has a horizontal roof band that replicates the original. The studio also went down, excavating into the slope to add a storage wall, wine cellar and home cinema.
While the residence had good bones, its flow needed modernising. Studio Prineas started by relocating the front door to the side, accessed via a stepped garden and courtyard, while the original spiral staircase was replaced with an open-tread version aligned with the home’s central corridor. Relocating the bedrooms upstairs allowed for multiple living spaces on the ground floor, with the kitchen, dining room and sitting areas positioned towards views of the pool and garden. A powder room, laundry and walk-in pantry are housed behind the corridor. On the lower-ground floor, next to the garage, are a bedroom and bathroom for the nanny.
Infusing the design with nostalgia and remaining respectful to the home’s authenticity was key to Studio Prineas’s successful reboot. The use of materials common to the era in which it was built – in a palette of greens, browns and ochre that also echo the environment – helped maintain its timeless visual language. American walnut veneer from Briggs Veneers, which harks back to mid-century furniture design, is used for kitchen cupboards and joinery in the living spaces, cinema, bathrooms and bedrooms, establishing a design continuity. Modernist tiled counters are reimagined here as a kitchen island wrapped in Mutina DIN tiles in Light Green Glossy from Artedomus, with a stainless-steel inset, and the original orange curtains have been given new life as upholstery for window seats.
Shag rugs, including the Napoleon Shag in Moss Green from Designer Rugs, help the home remain authentic to its era. Iconic pieces have been sourced to continue the mid-century vernacular, including Le Corbusier’s Lampe de Marseille Mini for Nemo wall light, which illuminates a living space that also features an R160 Contour Chair by legendary Australian designer Grant Featherston.
New Line House is a sympathetic and clever reimagining of a mid-century family dwelling, bringing it into the present while respecting its distinctive heritage and place in the history of Australian home building.
Architecture and interior design by Studio Prineas. Build by Beach Houses. Landscape design by Spirit Level. Tiles by Artedomus.
