A century of legacy, reimagined for tomorrow.

First purchased by Emily Carter in 1905, the home has now been reimagined as a contemporary architectural showpiece - its legacy carried forward with reverence and vision.

For owner Stephen Killian, the project was about both return and renewal. After two decades abroad, he returned to Sydney with his young family in 2015 and bought the home from a cousin. “It felt like the right moment to reconnect with our heritage,” he says. Generations of his family had lived within these walls - his grandmother and her sisters were born in the front room - and the place had always been a backdrop for life’s most vivid chapters. A long-running family tradition of back-step photographs, dating back to 1954, continues here still.

The redesign, completed in 2024, honours this lineage while preparing the house for the next century. The original terrace frontage, fireplace, stained glass, and chimney have been carefully preserved, providing both aesthetic anchors and emotional resonance. Inside, the contemporary expansion brings light and openness. Every room has been oriented around an internal grassed courtyard, so that morning sun and garden views permeate daily life. Oak parquet floors run beneath rows of French doors, while upstairs, a glass corridor links the original terrace with the striking new addition.

The sense of space is amplified by thoughtful detail: a quartzite kitchen fitted with Wolf and V-ZUG appliances, custom joinery and double-glazed windows, terrazzo and marble bathrooms. Technology is integrated quietly in the background, from automatic skylights to ducted climate control, EV charging, and wiring for solar. Yet the atmosphere remains timeless. “The thing I love most is the light,” Stephen reflects. “The house feels warm almost all day - both physically and emotionally.”

Alexandria itself has transformed around the home. Once defined by warehouses and small corner shops, the neighbourhood now buzzes with cafés, restaurants, and cultural institutions like the South Eveleigh Precinct and Carriageworks. New transport connections mean the city is just minutes away, but the pocket retains a neighbourly feel thanks to its wide, tree-lined streets.

For Stephen, what endures is the soul of the place. “This home has always been loved,” he says. “It’s been carefully restored to balance heritage with modern living. My hope is that the next custodians feel that depth and warmth - that they continue the traditions, or create their own, while becoming part of something bigger.”

View the listing: 55-57 Suttor Street, Alexandria