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A Courtyard House on a Suburban Block in Sydney

Built for a young family in Sydney, Australia, the Riverview House is designed around a central courtyard that allows sight lines from the street, through the house, and on to the backyard. Designed by Bennett and Trimble, the home’s roofline slopes at the northeast corner to allow natural light to enter the courtyard and into the house.

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Above the windows, steel sun shades rest horizontally while adding a minimalist detail to the exterior.

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The living room opens up to the back garden via a disappearing sliding glass door, extending the square footage.

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The unusual roofline gives the main living area a sense of openness.

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The higher ceiling allows for a playroom to be suspended over the kitchen and dining room.

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The kitchen is kept minimal and all white, blending with the painted white brick throughout. The white is offset by the wood floors.

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Just off the main living area is the courtyard which has glass doors that swing open on two sides.

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Photos by Peter Bennetts.

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.