The cottage on the lowest level was also given the same respect, with the exterior corrugated walls removed to reveal the original timber boards. It needed a major overhaul, so the non-load bearing dividing boards were removed and new steel beams inserted. Together with the new Japanese-stained timber insets into the original Kauri floor, one can still ‘read’ how the original cottage would have been carved up.

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What was an outhouse is now a veranda and the cottage is an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. Simple smoked oak veneer joinery lines the kitchen, with one cupboard dedicated to appliances. Rather than revealing a blank wall, there’s the cottage’s original timber-framed multi-paned window, offering additional light when left open. “It’s about memory as much as about creating contemporary spaces for a family,” says Prineas, who treated the acrylic carbon-like island bench like a piece of furniture, ‘floating’ above the original floors.

However, mindful of the future as much as the past, Prineas Studio added to the cottage, with a guest bedroom, a study, a bathroom, a laundry, and a cellar also found at this level. Above are the two children’s bedrooms, a shared bathroom and a study nook, orientated to a sandstone rock face buried deep into the site. The new rooms feature concrete walls and concrete ceilings.

And on the top level, is the main bedroom and ensuite, treated like a sumptuous hotel suite. Featuring a marble-lined bathtub behind the bed, the owners can still enjoy the views of the water through the mirrored wardrobes.

“They can also have similar water views when they’re brushing their teeth,” says Prineas, pointing out the dual basins. Her team also thought about the smaller details of staying in a luxe hotel and included a kitchenette/bar behind one of the cupboards so they didn’t need to take the stairs or the lift to the kitchen.

While neighbouring houses might have the ubiquitous swimming pool at the end of the garden, accessed from a manicured lawn, there wasn’t the room or desire to replicate these features on this property. Instead, there’s a modest-size pool, complete with a sauna and a bathroom – with the veranda above creating protection from the more inclement weather.

From the street, the now 250-square-metre house is expressed as a simple concrete lift shaft – no more. The water views that can be enjoyed by those strolling past or neighbours directly opposite. One can only imagine their joy at seeing this simple addition rise in the street – a first in many of Sydney’s prized waterfront locations.

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