Orange Grove Cottage by CO-AP.

CO-AP Architects have delicately stitched together past and present in their refurbishment of a 1910’s two-bedroom home dubbed Orange Grove Cottage. Original Arts and Crafts design elements are celebrated and restored alongside a collection of contemporary injections. The result is a delicately balanced home that despite its small size, speaks with sophistication, also proving good design does not come with a size limit!

The 88 square metre refurbishments unfolded slowly over several years, each element gradually morphing to become a part of a unified design scheme. A small garden at the properties rear began the unfolding narrative. Although a restrained gesture far from the chaos associated with the start of a build, this small-scale intervention is now integral to the feel of the home.

The greenery of the garden bleeds into main living spaces, extending them beyond the wall’s boundary—mature gumtrees in a nearby park tower above, extending the compact space beyond site constraints.

The original charm of Arts and Crafts timber work and patterned glazing sit alongside contemporary interventions of Rosso Lepanto marble and laminate cabinetry. Two voices become interwoven throughout the home. The existing bathroom has been refurbished with traditional tessellated floor tiles which sit in contrast to modern fittings.

Each space within the house exists as a collection of seamlessly blended styles, subtle but refined in their impact. A colour palette of sage green, deep reds, and crisp whites were selected to complement traditional hues. They also, however, combine to create an inviting, relaxing atmosphere, breathing life back into a tired worker’s cottage.

Related: Woollahra Courtyard House by CO-AP.

[Images courtesy of CO-AP. Photography by Ross Honeysett.]