Cheat sheet
Who lives here Brenden Chase Rudd, director of construction company Chase Projects, with his wife Katie and their kids: Frankie, five, Sage, three, and Axel, two. Style of home A single-level home built in the late 1960s that’s now a mid-century modern mash-up of old and new with Scandinavian interior touches.
Two years from the initial concept to completion by Brenden’s company.
Set back on a corner block in Sydney’s northern suburbs is a free-flowing home that proves a house doesn’t need to be huge to comfortably fit and cater to a family of five. In fact, this freshly renovated single-level property has multiple indoor and outdoor living zones, with an open-plan design that keeps the occupants connected – but never cramped – at all times. Before they bought the house, Brenden Rudd and his wife Katie were drawn to the relaxed local vibe. They also loved the position of the block, and the fact that it only had neighbours on two sides. “This area is ideal for families, and schools, transport and local shops are just minutes away,” says Katie. “There are also bush walks and parks around the corner, and the green views from here are just so inviting, they bring a sense of escape.”
Brenden is the owner/director of award-winning building company Chase Projects, which specialises in residential and hospitality projects in Sydney and country NSW, so it was natural for him to take on the renovation of his own place. The original structure was tired and needed a facelift, but Brenden says he and Katie then got excited about the floor plan and decided to make lots of spatial changes to increase the feeling of light and space. “The house as it was didn’t capture the great northern aspect and had no connection with the pool at all,” he says. “And lastly, the double street frontage needed more privacy.”
The biggest part of the renovation involved relocating the kitchen to become part of the living zone. “We moved it into the spot where the old dining room was,” says Brenden. “We also rotated the staircase from the front entry to face the pool, and removed the front door’s portico to make more internal space. In addition, we shifted the front door three metres to allow more space for the fireplace in the living room and create better access to the internal stairs leading to the garage below.”
New asymmetrical vaulted ceilings in the living areas now provide extra breathing room, and the floor plan has been reoriented north. The building has also been kitted out with three recycled-brick pentagonal gables, which buttress the kitchen wing, the main bedroom wing and the rear bedroom wing. “I really like the brick gables on each end of the house,” says Brenden. “They’re functional, providing a solid feel and shielding us from summer sun and road noise.”
In addition to the main living area, the property has a second living area at the back with access to the pool, a compact but space-savvy white and wood kitchen with integrated appliances, four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a properly equipped laundry, a northern terrace and a second terrace overlooking the pool, plus a garage with built-in storage.
Inspired by mid-century modern architectural forms and Scandinavian interior style elements, the home’s interior palette features recycled materials and neutral colours, with most of the walls painted Dulux Lexicon Quarter, a cool white with a hint of grey. “The neutral palette has allowed us to be bolder with shapes and design features without overpowering the space, and has brought the joinery to life without it competing with the architecture,” says Katie.
She and Brenden love to entertain, and having multiple indoor and outdoor living zones means they can have friends over on a large scale. Outside, there are two main areas. The first is just off the laundry so it has a clothes line and drying area leading to a play space for the children that’s hidden from the street. The second outdoor zone includes the elevated terrace and pool with a swim-up area for the kids. To one side of the pool, sitting in the middle of the home’s primary street address, is the driveway into the garage. “It has an automatic gate and the area inside it is great to play on, keeping the kids off the road and safe inside the boundary,” says Katie. Meanwhile, the family’s front door is on the quieter street, ensuring a more relaxed entrance for the steady stream of visitors.
On the surface, this home is an entertainer’s paradise, but dig a little deeper and you see that functionality, safety and a great indoor/outdoor connection are the true heroes of this renovation. And, true to Brenden’s design philosophy, it was all done with the lowest possible environmental impact.
Chase Projects is based in Brookvale, NSW (02) 8964 1140.
For more details, see chaseprojects.com.au or @chaseprojectsptyltd
1 Entry
2 Living
3 Dining
4 Kitchen
5 Second living
6 Bedroom
7 Bedroom
8 Laundry 9 Bathroom
10 Vanity
11 Bedroom
12 Ensuite
13 Main bedroom
14 Pool
15 Front terrace
16 Garage