An Australian Cottage Gets a Mediterranean-Inspired Revamp
With crisp, white stucco walls and a lush garden setting, this airy space will mentally transport you to the Mediterranean.
When tapped to redesign a darling cottage in Brisbane's Little Italy, the team at Cavill Architects was inspired by "architecture with veneration for the past." As a result, the newly remodeled dwelling now pays homage to the Italian migrant workers' housing that was a crucial part of the Australian city's post-war settlement.
Beginning at the front, the garden walls meander under the existing cottage and finish at the rear of the site.
David Chatfield
Imagined as a series of repurposed garden walls, the home indeed takes on a Mediterranean-like feel with bright, open rooms, white stucco walls, and a living space that is fully integrated into its glorious garden setting.
The open kitchen has a warm Mediterranean-like feel and overlooks the central garden.
David Chatfield
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Large sliding doors fully enable indoor/outdoor living.
David Chatfield
The notion of an integrated indoor/outdoor experience runs counter to the plan of a traditional Queensland worker's cottage, where the living areas often sit alongside an external deck.
David Chatfield
Rather than opting for the schematic, open-plan design of the renovated Queensland worker's cottage, the formalized living, sitting, and dining areas are compartmentalized; each room is dedicated to their function.
David Chatfield
The minimalist material palette is a mix of whitewashed stucco, wood, and concrete.
David Chatfield
A quiet office nook.
David Chatfield
Even the bathrooms have a luminous feel.
David Chatfield
David Chatfield
The firm has also preserved features typical to the pre-war worker's cottage.
David Chatfield
Everything has been planned with particular attention to the character of the streetscape and the preservation of the landscape. The garage door has been integrated with a timber screen, which provides visual relief and delicately mediates between public and private space.
David Chatfield
Project Credits:
Architect of Record: Cavill Architects
Structural Engineer: Westera Partners
Landscape Design Company: Dan Young Landscape
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