Sky High

Soaring ceilings and a brick barrel vault provide drama in this remodelled 1890s Sydney terrace house that was already a standout with its theatrical facade.

- Chris Pearson

Many times architect Renato D’Ettorre had driven past this stately, three-storey terrace in Sydney’s inner east and admired its Italianate white-stucco facade. But little did he realise he would one day work his magic beyond its elegant arches and that they would also inspire him to reach dizzying heights of creativity.

The 1890s building had just been bought by a couple with a young family. It had previously been home to a medical association, and was in desperate need of TLC and a cure of its own. It boasted a unique, L-shaped site, with the house at the front and sandstone former stables in the rear, the two separated by a courtyard. “I loved the home’s grand proportions,” says Renato, who first crossed its threshold in 2011. “It was an ornate, handsome building. I had always loved it and could not believe I’d been asked to do the design.” Confronted with a 1990s office fit-out, which had produced a structure that was “stuffy and dusty, with pseudo classical detailing, poky offices and carpeted floors, you couldn’t see the beauty of the building”.

The brief was to insert modern conveniences while being true to the building’s original spirit and to provide adequate space and accommodation for a growing family, focusing on a strong inside outside connection,” he says.