Cottage industry: A high-end renovation collaboration.

Sitting on a 7m-wide block, the residence defies the typical linear footprint, instead embracing a unique L-shaped design that wraps around a private northeast-facing courtyard. The result blurs the boundary between indoors and out, creating a free-flowing living environment rarely seen in this pocket of the inner city.

The design the team started with was a modest single-level cottage, a relic from 1880, with a basic rear extension. The approval process required them to retain the façade due to conservation rules, but permission was granted for a double-storey extension beyond the roofline of the original house. Adding height to the upstairs rooms, with the sense of space further enhanced by bay-window bedrooms, the new details are intelligently incorporated while sympathetic to the history of the streetscape.

With square metres always a premium in Inner Sydney, every design decision was made with purpose. “We worked closely with our architect to create a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, maximising every inch of available floorspace. We opened the living area straight onto the garden with large sliding doors to enhance that indoor/outdoor flow.”

Attention-to-detail runs through every surface. The interiors are dotted with European appliances and the quality is apparent in the custom joinery throughout. Marble benchtops make a striking first impression in the kitchen, while a level of contemporary comfort is revealed in elements that make more sense as you explore – underfloor heating, skylights and solar panels working in unison. Down to the patterned flooring in herringbone timbers, and the sleek presence of polished concrete, it feels beautifully considered all round.

For all its contemporary finesse, the home is also a product of its vibrant Redfern setting. Reflecting on the surrounds, Wendy and Galit agree, “This part of the city has an incredible energy – you’ve got coffee shops, boutique stores, gourmet food, and some of Sydney’s best restaurants right here. Plus the new Surry Hills Village has added a new layer to the neighbourhood, with Eve hotel becoming a local go-to.”

The finished product is a home that’s as effortless as it is luxurious. “We wanted to create something the new owner could simply walk into and unpack – a true turn-key home with high-end finishes and a modern, minimalist aesthetic,” they add. 

“There’s nothing else like it in Redfern.”

View the listing: 3 Little Young Street, Redfern