Into the GROOVE

Channelling a love of timber from their native Queensland, the owners worked with Handelsmann + Khaw to conjure a characterful, light-filled house in a beachside suburb.

- KAREN MCCARTNEY

To see the original photographs of Jono and Kate Cottee’s semi-detached Federation house in Sydney’s Randwick at the time of its purchase reveals the full imaginative scope and leap of faith their renovation required. “We were passionate about preserving the original character of the house rather than imposing a modern development,” says Jono. Of the rather lacklustre 1990s rear addition they were less enamoured and by demolishing and redesigning it a completely new aesthetic emerged.

Jono works in commercial property development so he had specific search criteria. “We were looking for a semi-detached house that had a north-facing side boundary and east-facing rear boundary. We were drawn to Randwick as a number of the streets have rear laneways which preserve the streetscape from being dominated by carports and garages. From the moment we saw the house listed, we knew it would be perfect for us,” he says.

Interestingly, it is these two practical aspects that play strongly in the final outcome in terms of atmosphere, light and air: the house with its timber construction has a lightweight breeziness that plays to the very best of Sydney living. “The house is all about the solar orientation. The great thing about this city’s climate is that your key living areas can be perfect all year round if you’re facing the right aspect,” says Jono.

Kate, at the time pregnant with the couple’s first child, oversaw the interiors in consultation with Handelsmann + Khaw’s Tania Handelsmann, who brought the practice’s timeless but playful approach to the interior spaces, with existing furniture and artworks providing a basis for the interior palette.