Bona Vista House by Studio Prineas.

With a touch of sun-kissed summer dreams layered with the taste of strawberries and cream, Studio Prineas’ Bona Vista house excitingly awaits to embrace a family of five. Located in Sydney’s inner-west, Bona Vista is a heritage protected Federation Bungalow fenced with many tight regulations. Welcoming the historic overlay as an envelope of opportunities, architects Eva-Marie Prineas (pictured below) and Jacqueline Lindeman collaborated closely with the clients on an extension and a renovation that would continually allow the house to grow as their forever home.

The brief for this two-storey residence was catalysed by the clients’ search for a house that could accommodate their three growing children. The property was purchased through sheer determination to raise a family in the area, cemented by the connection the architects felt the moment their eyes were set upon the heritage envelope.

With thorough study and careful planning, the existing structure went through a slight refurbishment, with circulation shifted for a better connection, while the rooms remained. Along with the downward sloping landscape of the property, the layout served as a welcoming opportunity for a methodical extension.

From the entrance, a corridor extends down to a formal living space with two bedrooms attached on each side. Where a kitchen would be normally found in the traditional layouts, it was replaced with two more bedrooms, a bathroom, and a children’s retreat. Studio Prineas also introduced a stair connected to the extensions of the kitchen, dining, and a cosy sunken lounge. This space is also accessible via the garage with a mudroom and laundry conveniently attached. Behind the house exists a large stretch of lawn that’s been landscaped with a luxurious swimming pool plus a pool house made especially for the children.

Interior-wise, it’s a bit difficult to distinguish the old and the new – a sign of Prineas’ eye and reverence for the original materials of the house. Existing colours of the façade, terrazzo and vitrified tiles are deconstructed in the new styling. Against the white canvas, pops of signature colours decorate the window and door frames, the boundary of the sunken lounge and the datum of the extension. Bathrooms are lined with glistening accents of burgundy, punchy terrazzo flooring, and cream mosaic tiles offset by pink grout – enough to leave any visitor speechless. The language of bricks matches the pool house, connected by a linear alignment of the pool decking – offering an illusion of seamless integration.

Bespoke joinery and overall home styling exude an additional touch of magic such as the fine Tasmanian oak used for the built-in shelving in the sunken lounge area, and kitchen cabinetry that culminate with a rattan-lined bulkhead at the junction with the ceiling. Coupled with the sand-coloured marble island bench, this space feels like it belongs to a finely restored and preserved mid-century home.

A sound practice of fourteen years and counting, Studio Prineas’ holistic approach to the project, from architecture to interior styling, achieves an outcome that unassumingly celebrates this heritage home’s narrative. An extension that impressively tricks the eye, Bona Vista – true to its translation – is a happy sight indeed.

[Images courtesy of Studio Prineas. Editorial styling by Anna Delprat. Photography by Chris Warnes.]