Search

A House That Goes Modern Behind its Traditional Facade

The Gingerbread House has a fairytale name and a fairytale-like interior designed by Carterwilliamson Architects. While the front facade appears to be the same, behind the door a new, light-filled space exists for a young, growing family. Located in Annandale, Sydney, NSW Australia, the home keeps its original charm with new, reconfigured spaces and one long path for circulation that offers sight lines from the front door to the backyard.

It’s definitely what we call a mullet house, with its traditional street facade out front and around back, a modern exterior with a pivoting door that blends the indoors with the garden.

The home’s wood ceiling and rafters are painted white to give it an open and clean feel.

The back of the house features an open floor plan with the kitchen, dining and living room all together.

In the middle of the ground floor, there’s a light well with a small garden that’s beside the floor level change. Sliding windows open up to provide fresh air to the kitchen and study.

Matte black penny tiles cover all the surfaces in the guest bathroom for a dramatic result.

The original brick walls were given a coat of white paint to provide continuity on the inside.

Photos by The Guthrie Project.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.