Newtown House by Jacqui Koska and Grove Architects

The heritage bones of this Federation home in the buzzing Sydney suburb of Newtown are heightened by interior designer Jacqui Koska‘s vibrant and unique approach, as well as a light and airy pavilion addition by Grove Architects.

Having lived across the road and coveted it for some time, the current owner of this home was quick to make an offer the moment she noticed it was for sale. Before moving in with her teenage children, she engaged Jacqui Koska and Grove Architects to transform the home to meet the needs of her family and celebrate its heritage elements. Koska personalised the home using contemporary colours and carefully selected furnishings, materials and finishes atop architecture by Grove Architects, which included the addition of a clearly articulated concrete rear pavilion with elegant steel and timber detailing and a glass attic extension.

Carrara marble steps mark the transition between the heritage rooms and the new pavilion, with the original timber flooring moving to polished concrete beyond the marble section.

Setback and elevated from the street, a new outdoor terrace and green roof surround the pavilion with garden, brought to life with landscape design by The Garden Social. Inside, the home’s original spaces now contain three bedrooms, a bathroom and the family’s piano room, where a grand piano takes centrestage. This special room is elevated by moody, liquorice blue walls, contrasted against the warm tones of a terracotta rug and colour-matched, low-slung cabinetry. Overhead, the original attic has been transformed into a new main suite, with the soft blush of a French wash paint above the headboard accentuating the angles of the roofline and an uninterrupted view over the green roof.

Carrara marble steps mark the transition between the heritage rooms and the new pavilion, with the original timber flooring moving to polished concrete beyond the marble section. The pavilion provides for new interconnected living, kitchen and dining spaces, designed with a rich palette of soft and cool materials. Deeply veined marble also features heavily in the kitchen, where it adorns the clean folded lines of the island surround and the splashback. Vertical timber screens over a large window here adds a Japanese lantern-style element to the space, while blue and green shades in the marble lend depth of colour.

The pavilion provides for new interconnected living, kitchen and dining spaces, designed with a rich palette of soft and cool materials.

The living space features a built-in window seat over an operable window connecting to the patio and outdoor dining area. The verdant bench seat cushions coincide beautifully with a soft, velvety pink Jardan Lola armchair and a pale pink Jardan Miller sofa, adorned with rust red and moss green cushions. Moving through to the dining room, a minimal look is maintained with a traditional-style Great Dane wooden table and chairs with woven seats, while white French doors connect again to the al fresco dining space beyond.

With the property’s established trees lending a dappled light and the home’s collection of textures providing contrast as well as cohesiveness within each room, a sense of the building’s history is maintained, while the family’s contemporary tastes, requirements and wishes are provided for.

Architecture by Grove Architects. Interior design by Jacqui Koska. Build by Renotech Building. Landscape design by The Garden Social.