SPEED READ

» When the owners bought this property overlooking a bay in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in 2016, it was occupied by a dark and poky duplex, two apartments one on top of the other and in need of TLC. » They hired Bronwyn Litera of Stafford architects to combine the two into one house and ensure generous daylight throughout. » Retaining the tiled roof and the boundary walls and optimising the steep site, she designed a house that soars over three levels with corridors on each side providing sightlines from the front to the water beyond. A vaulted void in the middle drenches the kitchen and dining areas with natural light.

» Expressed in the ceilings and arched openings throughout, the curves nod to the original 1908 house while also keeping a sense of fluidity and movement. » Raw materials such as wide-gauge floorboards and concrete, together with a monolithic island bench ensure this airy and lofty home also remains grounded.