A village of their own.

“We were two single women with four generations to house, who wanted our own spaces,” the owners recount. “I had two kids, and Mum had my grandmother. We wanted our own spaces.”

The property on Horton Street was not initially an obvious candidate. The 1922 cottage was neglected, with extension cords and electrical cables crossing the hallway and an entire front garden covered in orange tiles. But beneath it, there were good bones: high ceilings, original moulded cornices and the possibility of opening the rear of the house to garden and light.

“As I was walking down the hallway, our fabulous Buyer’s Agent Josh Roth was saying, ‘I thought you could do this and this,’” one owner says. “I said, ‘I’m a year ahead of you Josh, just buy it.’”

The cottage was subsequently given a considered refresh rather than stripped of its character. Two small bedrooms were opened up to create a larger kitchen and dining area, the original cornices were retained and plantation shutters introduced a softer rhythm across the windows. At the rear, sliding glass doors transformed the relationship with the garden and improved the natural airflow.

Its personality, the owners say, is simply “warmth and welcome”.

That quality became particularly meaningful as the generations grew around it. The front cottage became home to a mother and daughter, while the new residence at the rear became a home for another generation and her two children. The separation was physical, but never felt distant.

 “I’ve loved having my daughter and grandchildren just across the back fence,” one says. “Lots of things have been passed over the back fence, most often a piece of cake, or other freshly baked treat, from my side to a little hand waiting on the other side.”

The decision to build at the rear was driven by the same idea: togetherness without surrendering independence. Working with architect Anna Ciliberto, the new home was conceived with three bedrooms, generous living spaces and five-metre-high ceilings.

“We took a generous block and created a little village, rather than a single large house,” they say.

It is a fitting description. The rear residence is highly architectural without feeling precious, its footprint expanded by glass doors, carefully positioned windows and skylights. Openings are angled to draw in light and air while preserving privacy, and almost every room has a connection to the garden.

“Everything the architect has done is inspired, unexpected, elegant, practical and joyful,” they say. “I think the high ceiling in the living room, the indoor/outdoor emphasis everywhere, and the light make the house breathe. This house always feels peaceful and cheerful.”