Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Renovation Near Sydney Opens Home Onto a Lush Garden

Renovation Near Sydney Opens Home Onto a Lush Garden

A modern addition in Annandale strengthens a home's connection to the outdoors and enhances natural light.

How to unobtrusively add space and flexibility to a modest, single-story home perched atop a steeply sloping site? These were the questions architect Christopher Polly sought to answer when designing and managing the renovation of a home in Sydney’s Annandale suburb.



The façade of the interwar dwelling was painted bright white and left largely unchanged, with a sole burst of color coming from a yellow DesignByThem "tomtom" letterbox. Though the extension is invisible from the street, architect Christopher Polly says it provides "significant additional freedom for the owners and their three young children to grow into."

Polly solved the conundrum by inserting an extension behind and beneath the original home to dramatically increase its floor space and exposure to sunlight. Light tunnels through the renovated home, entering through the addition’s glass walls and skylights, and refracting off vaulted ceilings. The spacious sensation created by this light isn't illusory. Polly’s design doubled the number of living spaces, bedrooms, and bathrooms. The home owners and their three children now have the freedom to retreat to their own areas or congregate in one of the residence’s generous communal spaces.



The addition’s two stories of cedar-framed sliding doors and window provide generous views of the house’s prized jacaranda tree. The addition’s polished concrete floor and white cladding extend into the garden, drawing occupants to the serene rear porch. There, they can relax on stools designed by Alvar Aalto and Charles Wilson while admiring the luscious greenery.



The extension’s lower level flows uninterrupted from the garden to the kitchen. Storage units hidden under the staircase give the living spaces an uncluttered feel. A Skygarden pendant by Marcel Wanders hangs over Snow 300 dining chairs by James Richardson, providing light in those rare hours when sunlight isn’t streaming in.



Casual meals are eaten at the kitchen’s glacier white Corian countertop, which features Aalto K65 stools. The island’s Blanco sinks offer a direct, uninterrupted sightline to the garden.



Situated behind the kitchen, the lower level bathroom is equally suited to cleaning up before a meal or taking a leisurely bath. Crisp white fixtures, including a Kaldewei Centro Duo bath, ensure that the bathroom feels as light and airy as the rest of the house.



When the sun is at its brightest, the east-facing glass wall is shielded by retractable Horiso venetian blinds that have been powdercoated to match the extension’s charcoal cladding.



Thanks to the extension’s vaulted ceiling, the master bedroom and minimalist staircase have views of the sky. Polly admits to having sacrificed floor area so that the full-height stairwell could achieve a stronger connection with the outdoors. Toyo Ito Mayhuma pendants hang from the ceiling, accentuating the space’s dramatic height.



Save for a new fan and a coat of oil on its pine floors, the original living room remains unchanged. The master bathroom, however, has been completely refurbished with Scala accessories and a Duravit Happy D wall basin. Both rooms are brightened by skylights carved into the roof.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×