Park House

Park House is a thoughtful re-imagination of a 1930s single-storey brick cottage on Sydney's North Shore. Positioned along the green edge of Karuah Park, the original house, while full of character, no longer supported the needs of a growing family. With one bathroom and no secondary living space, daily routines were cramped and the children lacked a place to gather with friends. The design response transforms the home into a contemporary, light-filled retreat while preserving its period warmth.

The new pavilion extension becomes the anchor of the home, an open plan kitchen, living and dining space designed for flexibility and a flowing connection to the outdoors. Minimal-frame sliding doors dissolve the boundary between inside and out, opening to a covered entertainment terrace that steps down to the new pool and landscaped garden. From here, the family enjoys views across the park to the mature blue gums that define the neighbourhood.

Natural stone and timber finishes bring warmth and tactility to the kitchen and living areas, creating a calm, functional space to gather, enriched by bespoke joinery considered down to the smallest detail.

A soaring 3.5-metre ceiling over the dining and living areas introduces a sense of volume, with highlight windows tracing the sun's path from east to west and drawing natural light deep into the home. Environmental performance is embedded in the design, with operable louvres maximising cross-flow and stack ventilation to reduce reliance on mechanical cooling during Sydney's warm months.

Within the original cottage, the floor plan is reworked to better support family life. The design introduces a generous master suite, an additional ensuite bathroom, and much-needed storage throughout, allowing the existing structure to function seamlessly with the new pavilion, a cohesive home that balances privacy, practicality, and shared spaces.

Park House is ultimately about connection, to the park, to natural light and breezes, and to the rhythms of modern life.