Project: Vaucluse House 2024
Architect: Nadine Nakache Design
Style: Heritage
Vaucluse in Sydney is one of the city’s most glamourous neighbourhoods, so it’s easy to see why the owner did not want to sell this property. On a sun-drenched block, with four bedrooms and harbour views, the owners wish was to update the property to allow her to stay whilst retaining the heritage feel of the house.
In her words “I don’t want it to look like an extension, I want it to look exactly like the old house” and “I’m too old to move during building works, so I will be living in the house whilst you renovate”.
Taking on a clever design by the architects, the most experienced To The Mil carpenters got to work. To keep 100 years of features and join new to old took all the carpentry and brickwork skills of yesteryear. There were many hand tools on site which haven’t seen the light of day for years. All mouldings and features were made on site as so many items are no longer available off the shelf.
Underneath what looks like a quite simple extension to the side of a building with picturesque gardens, hides a complex series of underpinning, shoring, piering and engineering.
The owner now has a ‘new’ house she can enjoy into her twilight years, and it was amazing to work on this heritage home for her.
