Inside the historic stonemason’s cottage in Paddington, Sydney, transformed into a modern home

This old stonemason’s cottage has been transformed into a magnificent modern home – complete with a marble bathroom, sleek kitchen and a central courtyard flooded with sunlight

  • A historic stonemason’s cottage in central Sydney has been transformed into a magnificent modern home
  • The conversion was a passion project for architect Richard Huxley and his art director wife, Stephanie
  • When the couple bought the house in 2014, it had ‘two or three walls’, an outhouse and a crumbling ceiling
  • They salvaged it by adding an extension to accommodate a gallery kitchen, study and indoor bathroom
  • A sunlit courtyard at the centre of the house captures a sweeping view from the old part into the new

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A dilapidated stonemason’s cottage in central Sydney has been transformed into a magnificent modern home, carefully laid out to ensure every inch of space is used to its best.

The conversion of the one-bedroom in Paddington, believed to have been built in the 1840s, was a passion project for architect Richard Huxley and his wife Stephanie, art director at Australian fashion label Camilla & Marc.

By the time the couple bought the cottage in 2014, it had fallen into such disrepair that it was deemed uninhabitable, but they were determined to restore it to more than its original glory.

The Huxleys salvaged the structure that consisted of ‘two or three walls’, an outhouse and a crumbling ceiling on the verge of collapse over the course of a year by adding an extension to accommodate a gallery kitchen, a study nook and an indoor bathroom.

A dilapidated stonemason’s cottage in central Sydney has been transformed into a magnificent modern home

Before: The cottage was converted by architect Richard Huxley and his art director wife, Stephanie

After: The couple preserved original features wherever possible

The conversion of the one-bedroom in Paddington, believed to have been built in the 1840s, was a passion project for architect Richard Huxley and his wife Stephanie, art director at Australian fashion label Camilla & Marc

By the time the couple bought the cottage in 2014, it had fallen into such disrepair that it was deemed uninhabitable

By the time the couple bought the cottage in 2014, it had fallen into such disrepair that it was deemed uninhabitable

‘Everything had to create a sense of space,’ Richard told Domain.

The extension is built around a sunlit courtyard that captures a view from the old part of the house into the new. 

Original heritage features have been preserved wherever possible and used as inspiration for new additions including rare Calacatta marble benchtops and French oak floorboards. 

The walls of the bathroom, which Richard describes as an ‘urban oasis’, are finished in Tadelakt, an intricate limestone render that originated in Morocco. 

Before: The Huxleys salvaged the structure that consisted of 'two or three walls', an outhouse and a crumbling ceiling on the verge of collapse over the course of a year

After: They added an extension to accommodate a gallery kitchen, a study and an indoor bathroom

The Huxleys salvaged the structure that consisted of ‘two or three walls’, an outhouse and a crumbling ceiling on the verge of collapse over the course of a year by adding an extension to accommodate a gallery kitchen, a study and an indoor bathroom

Everything including the kitchen was installed to create a sense of extra space

Everything including the kitchen was installed to create a sense of extra space

The house is finished with luxury touches including rare Calacatta marble in the bathroom (pictured)

The house is finished with luxury touches including rare Calacatta marble in the bathroom (pictured)

Original heritage features have been used as inspiration for new additions including French oak floorboards

Walls are finished in Tadelakt, an intricate limestone render that originated in Morocco.

Original heritage features have been used as inspiration for new additions including French oak floorboards

The extension is built around a sunlit courtyard that captures a view from the old part of the house into the new

The extension is built around a sunlit courtyard that captures a view from the old part of the house into the new

With the Huxleys preparing to move on to their next chapter, the cottage is on the market with a price guide of $1.45million (AUD)

With the Huxleys preparing to move on to their next chapter, the cottage is on the market with a price guide of $1.45million (AUD)

The white timber ceilings have been bolstered with supportive beams while the low hanging doorways have been retained. 

With the Huxleys preparing to move on to their next chapter, the cottage is on the market with a price guide of $1.45million (AUD).

That’ a bargain for a sought-after suburb where the average property sells for more than $2.6million.

The house is set to sell under the hammer at an auction on June 26 overseen by The Agency realtor, Peter Parry.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk