Double Happiness

A 1910 cottage in Sydney’s southwest presented a pair of land-lovers with the opportunity to create a retreat that delivers on practicality and charm.

- Judy Pascoe

Finding this home, a circa-1910 cottage on acreage on the outskirts of Sydney, was a stroke of luck for Peter and Carolyn Meadows. Known as Boorabee, it was perfectly located and had significant heritage features. “We were attracted by the home’s potential,” says Carolyn. “We had been looking for a house that was all on one level with some land around it, but still close to town. Boorabee is less than 80km from the Sydney CBD and close to local shops and transport, yet still feels rural.”

Making Boorabee home wasn’t going to be easy. Peter and Carolyn planned to share the property with their adult sons Marcus and Daniel, daughter-in-law Elyse and 20-month-old granddaughter Layla, but at a minuscule 11m2, the cottage would be a pretty tight squeeze. All the key elements had to be replaced – roof, verandah, timberwork, doors and windows, wiring and plumbing – and heritage listing required careful navigation of building restrictions. Space to entertain was also high on the wish list.