The owners of this North Fitzroy cottage had a simple wish: stay close to the city while giving their family the space and comfort they needed. Their single-fronted terrace was modest in size, but they wanted it to feel generous, light-filled, and functional. A key requirement was storage—plenty of it—for their beloved book collection.
This is the kind of challenge we love. How do you make a small home feel spacious, comfortable, and modern without losing its soul? How do you ‘live small’ while keeping the creature comforts of a contemporary family home? The answer lies in careful planning, smart design, and attention to every detail. Every corner has a purpose, every square centimetre earns its place.
Council planning requirements, often seen as a hurdle in inner suburbs, became part of the design inspiration. By working within these limits, we created a home that respects its neighbours, maximises daylight, and maintains a sense of openness despite its modest footprint.
The project is a careful weaving together of old and new. The original front rooms were restored to simple, elegant spaces that honour the home’s history while providing flexibility for modern living. A previously dark third room was transformed with a skylight, bringing sunlight into a space that once felt closed off. Skylights in the new extension further connect the kitchen, meals, and outdoor areas, creating a seamless flow of light and activity.
Upstairs, the parents’ retreat offers a master bedroom with custom-built robes, a study nook, and an angled roof that gives the space character and charm. Even the stairwell, often overlooked, became a home for books and storage, ensuring no space goes unused. Rather than a single open-plan area, the home is composed of interconnected zones, allowing different activities to happen simultaneously without disruption.
What emerges is more than a house—it’s a home that feels larger than its footprint. The design balances practicality with warmth, heritage with contemporary living. Storage is integrated into furniture and architecture, circulation feels effortless, and every space has a sense of purpose. The combination of restored heritage elements and modern interventions gives the home a layered, textured character. Skylights and outdoor connections bring in light and air, giving the interior a sense of openness and freedom.
This North Fitzroy terrace proves that small-footprint living doesn’t mean compromise. It’s a home where children can play, adults can work or relax, and books—and all the family’s treasures—have a proper place. It’s a residence designed for everyday life, adaptable as the family grows, and deeply connected to the history and rhythm of its neighbourhood.
In the end, this project shows that thoughtful design can turn modest spaces into homes that are light, flexible, and full of life. Every centimetre counts, every detail matters, and the result is a home that feels bigger, brighter, and more generous than its size might suggest.
