A Crumbling Cottage Gives Way to a Brisbane Home Brimming With Greenery

A vine-covered terrarium acts as a portal, hiding this home’s entrance from street view.

Text by

Published by

In the Brisbane suburb of Highgate Hill, a 100-year-old cottage—set on eight-foot-tall stilts to meet the street—was crumbling into the jungle at its backyard. For architect John Ellway, it posed an opportunity. "The change in level meant that the former one-bedroom cottage could grow by inhabiting the open undercroft below," he says.

Photo by Toby Scott

Get the Renovations Newsletter

From warehouse conversions to rehabbed midcentury gems, to expert advice and budget breakdowns, the renovation newsletter serves up the inspiration you need to tackle your next project.

The resulting Terrarium House is a two-level, 1,130-square-foot home. A bridge leads into the first level, where private rooms are accessed from slatted wood walkways that overlook the main living areas below. Down the industrial, black staircase (and past ferns and trees) is the home’s undercroft, which opens completely to the backyard with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors.

Photo by Toby Scott

Many of the home’s materials and characteristics were formed by memories of the owners’ travels. "Most are unconscious connections that have only been realized after living in the house," says Ellway. Sliding and dividing screens and translucent glass surfaces invoke visits to Japan, while the home’s lush plants, blockwork, and semioutdoor bathroom are inspired by Malaysia and Singapore.

Shop the Look

Secto Design Octo 4240 Pendant, Walnut

The Octo lamp, designed by Seppo Koho for Secto Design, has a wooden shade which is hand-made from Finnish birch by highly skilled craftsmen. As the other Secto Design lamps by Seppo Koho, also the Octo lamp is well-known outside Finland as well for its clear Scandinavian feel.

Shop

Bloomscape Dracaena Limelight

Healthy, beautiful plants delivered straight to your doorstep A couple well placed plants can go a long way toward making a space feel alive and vibrant, warm and cozy, clean and cool — whatever vibe you’re looking for, Bloomscape has the plants to help you achieve it. The plants spend the first part of their lives in specialized greenhouses, cared for attentively by plant experts, up until the day they ship straight to your doorstep to begin the rest of their lives with you.

Shop

Photo by Toby Scott