Author // Shannon Edwards, Place New Farm
Tucked away in the streets of Paddington, this quaint workers cottage has undergone an impressive transformation into a breathtaking private oasis.
The definition of open plan living, this property has been built to capture the city’s best sunlight and breezes all year round, creating a cool, relaxing sanctuary amongst the suburb.
The genius behind this development is Arno Oosthuizen, an architect who spent the past 11 years dedicating his work to large scale renovations.
But, Arno ensures us that the home hasn’t always appeared so glamorous as he reflected on his living conditions during the big renovation.
Why did you decide to begin the project?
What we liked most about the property on Paddington’s Tooth avenue was that the lot was square and had great northern views.
The 1930’s workers cottage had a natural beauty to it, however the front terrace had been enclosed over the years resulting in loss of character.
We saw so much potential in the home which we really wanted to restore, but modernize and make it even better.
It then because my goal to focus on finding the potential within an existing home and renovate rather than building from scratch, and that is all about strategy.
Photo Credit: Supplied
Living here must be an absolute dream! Is it?
It may seem like a dream now, but trust me it wasn’t always like that.
My wife Annelie and I slept on a mattress in one of the rooms where absolutely everything was covered in dust – there was never any point cleaning because the next day it would be filthy again.
When I think about it, it was more like camping!
Every day was complete chaos.
We were lucky enough to have running water so would wake up at the crack of dawn to have our showers before the tradies got to work.
We didn’t actually have any working electricity but made use of side power and ran extension cords throughout the house.
With that we would plug in a microwave and bar fridge and sit them next to our bed – it was all very glamorous.
When we really felt like treating ourselves, we would have a BBQ (standing on dirt overlooking the worksite of course).
When we bought the home we also thought it was a good idea to adopt our puppy Lilly, so she became a real working dog!
Although it was tough for quite some time, all the hard work really paid off and we’re now standing in this amazing house.
Photo Credit: Supplied