Name: Kirk Lenard
Location: Paddington, Sydney, Australia
Size & Type: Small....

Pitch: It's a tiny house that required some tricky maneuvers and clever solutions to accomodate our needs. Some of the ideas may not work for everyone (there's no bathtub, and the children's bedroom does not have a door) but it's perfect for our lifestyle -- a young child, lot's of dinner parties, BBQs, and very casual living.

EXTERIOR
It's a very narrow (just over 10' wide) 2-storey 19th century terrace (an Australian row-house) in a historic trendy inner-city neighbourhood. We left the front facade traditional, in keeping with the neighbourhood.

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LIVING ROOM:
Metallic Belgian wallpaper, multiple lighting features, and a funky wall mirror, along with the large sofa/chaise, leather ottomans (which convert to coffee table trays plus storage under), and a hidden entertainment centre, create a sexy ambience for entertaining or family lounging.

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COURTYARD: It was our preference to locate the dining area to the rear, opening onto the courtyard, with the living area positioned centrally near the kitchen. Fully-retracting doors overlook the garden with a built-in gas BBQ, daybed and additional outdoor dining.
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FISHPOND & FIREPLACE: There's a fireplace at the foot of the stairs in the living room (with bike storage over), a fish-pond alongside (that can be covered with a glass panel to extend entertaining space) and a water-curtain fountain to the back window.
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SECOND BEDROOM
We added an attic floor bedroom (for my son from the astronaut photo in the NY apt) with it's own balcony.

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REAR VIEW We completely demolished the existing interior to extend the house to the rear. With a neighbouring wall blocking some sunlight, glass roofs bring extra light to the dining area and office (and can be turned into upper floor decks in sunny summer months) providing a fabulous view of the Australian Gum tree above.
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KITCHEN
The kitchen has a custom resin countertop which wraps the ceiling, a fast-food type trash bin door under the microwave, sliding panels to separate it from the living area, and a floating breakfast counter with stools.

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BEDROOM The master bedroom has a padded tile bedhead and ceiling (with storage above), and is surrounded by full height curtains concealing a wall of built-in wardrobes, drawers, bookshelves, TV and doors to the balcony. The second floor office space to the back (with built-in desk, bookshelves and closet) has it's own fully retractable doors opening to the backyard, providing access to the covered deck in summer.
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BATHROOM
The unique bathroom acts as an enlarged landing when the transluscent bronze glass doors are retracted (but private when they are closed) and has a shower concealed behind bronze mirrored panels (which seal it when opened against the sliding doors). Operarble mirrored panels also hide the laundry on the opposite side.

From earlier posted photos of my NY apt some may recognize the Jacobsen Egg chair and Heywood Wakefield table (which can extend to seat 10), but the overall style is more contemporary. Openess and similar finishes are used throughout to prevent the small house from feeling too busy. Darker colours are acknowledghement that the place is small and cosy, and no amount of white is going to change that!

Regards,

Kirk Lenard

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