Screen Play

An epic renovation punctuated with perforated aluminium screens has delivered space and drama in this heritage-zoned sydney home.

- John McDonald

Old houses pose major renovating challenges, and none more so than a home in a sensitive heritage area. This former worker’s cottage in Sydney’s inner west, built in the late 1870s, was rare in its way – one of a row of three freestanding dwellings with double pitched roofs – and the local council was determined to preserve its character as seen from the street.

Richard Conway and Danya Cameron had a battle on their hands when they bought the live able but termite-ridden house in 2008 and started a transformational journey in collaboration with Shaun Carter, principal of Carter Williamson Architects. City views and a handy location made it worthwhile, as did the fact that Danya’s mother and sister lived nearby. “The process from concept to approval took nearly three years,” says Danya. “The council was always trying to squeeze the parameters: shorter, slimmer, smaller.”