This quintessential Australian bungalow celebrates both traditional and modern design—and the distinction between old and new is clear as black and white.

Located in Wilston, a suburb of Brisbane, the four-room home features a bold new extension. Views of the surrounding parkland are framed by apertures in the front facade and louvre windows along the entire rear side.

The original home is a typical pre-war worker's cottage. While the new addition sits partially within the original footprint, the renovation focused on creating new relationships between public and private spaces while increasing the home's size to 1,900 square feet.

A spacious master suite and several living areas now span the original cottage floor plan, while the extension holds a new living room, kitchen, and additional bedrooms.

The team at Brisbane-based Wrightson Stewart led both the interior and exterior transformations. Director Steven Stewart explains how the team approached the project: “Our aim was to incorporate a very small home within a much larger whole without negating the charm and character of the original, but instead celebrating it. We relied on elements that used the traditional language of painted, Queenslander-style timber carpentry.”

The Queensland lifestyle was considered to be a fundamental element in the new design. “Using custom-designed joinery and built-in furniture, we wanted to create a compact layout that maximizes functionality throughout day-to-day activities,” adds Steven.

The team felt it was important that new spaces didn't lose the essential character of the old home. “Our intention was to create new elements that used the traditional language of painted, Queenslander-style timber carpentry,” says Steven.

“Timber flooring in the original cottage was refreshed, and this was paired with light American oak flooring in the extension. The idea was to celebrate the old and new, rather than denying the difference.”

When asked about his firm's design philosophy, Steven describes the essence of their approach to the renovation process: “Like solving a riddle, we map out the floor plan to incorporate day-to-day needs. We then start to draw on the existing architecture as a guide to connecting all the dots and creating a dialogue between the architecture and lifestyle.”

Related Reading:

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record, Interior Design: Wrightson Stewart / @wrightson_stewart

Builder: Oxford Construction & Development

Cabinetry Design & Installation: Dimensions by Design

Photography: Kylie Hood