Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A 26-Year-Old Couple Build an Impressive First Home
This historic home in Brisbane was given a new lease on life by its fresh-faced new owners, both of whom are still in their twenties
Located in East Brisbane, Queensland, this two-bedroom worker’s cottage built in the 1890s has been lifted, renovated and extended. It has now become a contemporary four-bedroom residence, with generous living areas and a wealth of modern comforts. First-time homeowners Jose Barroso, the principal builder of Barroso Building and his partner Phoebe Valter consciously sought to retain the original character and features of the cottage, while planning major renovations to the property.
As an apprentice carpenter, Barroso only ever worked on renovations of older homes around Brisbane, allowing him to bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to this personal project. “We wanted the cottage to transform from small and tired-looking to spacious and able to meet the lifestyle requirements of a 21st-century family home,” explains Barroso.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jose Barroso, 26, Phoebe Valter, 26, and their dog, Franki
Location: East Brisbane, Queensland
Size: 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room
As an apprentice carpenter, Barroso only ever worked on renovations of older homes around Brisbane, allowing him to bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to this personal project. “We wanted the cottage to transform from small and tired-looking to spacious and able to meet the lifestyle requirements of a 21st-century family home,” explains Barroso.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jose Barroso, 26, Phoebe Valter, 26, and their dog, Franki
Location: East Brisbane, Queensland
Size: 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms and a powder room
Barroso and his team of carpenters, along with his dad and Valter’s, did all of the construction work. They enlisted the services of local designers refresh*design, with a key focus on maintaining the character and appearance of the original home from the kerb.
A deliberate distinction in the shape of the old and the new was established, with a traditional roof on the existing house and a low-pitched skillion roof on the extension. Lightweight cladding, with textures similar to those on the existing house, was used on the extension to create a dialogue between the two. In order to balance the contemporary with the traditional, the house was divided into three parts; the existing house, the extension and the connection.
A deliberate distinction in the shape of the old and the new was established, with a traditional roof on the existing house and a low-pitched skillion roof on the extension. Lightweight cladding, with textures similar to those on the existing house, was used on the extension to create a dialogue between the two. In order to balance the contemporary with the traditional, the house was divided into three parts; the existing house, the extension and the connection.
Upon entering via the new side-entry of the house, visitors are drawn into a gradual expansion of the space with a clear view through to the backyard. The floating step near the front door is actually hardwood sourced from the Hornibrook Bridge at Redcliffe.
Like all refresh*design projects, this newly renovated house incorporates sustainable design principles and has been laid out to take advantage of passive solar design, natural ventilation and the use of sustainable building materials.
Having both grown up in the neighbouring Brisbane suburb of West End, Barroso and Valter were all too familiar with the hot humid climate of this city.
Having both grown up in the neighbouring Brisbane suburb of West End, Barroso and Valter were all too familiar with the hot humid climate of this city.
One of Barroso’s biggest challenges on the project was building this floating staircase. The original design and placement of the staircase would have encroached on the available space where the entryway meets the living room, and Barroso was certain there had to be a more efficient way of designing it. “He obsessed over how to best make use of the space and was determined to make it float,” explains Valter.
The stair treads are recycled timber from the recently demolished historic Bonded Stores building in Brisbane’s Margaret Street, built in 1913. They were old floor joists and the original nail holes are still visible on the step nosing. Barroso also left the steel raw, simply treating it with Penetrol to create an industrial appearance that also enhances the recycled nature of the timber.
In front of the steps is another clever use of steel and timber, seen in this sliding door designed by Barroso. If slid across one way, the door hides the entrance to a powder room and laundry. Slid the other way, it instead conceals this recessed shelving and cabinetry. Valter says it’s the ideal way to hide everyday clutter when people come over to visit.
The powder room and laundry are located directly behind the sliding steel door just off the kitchen, and there’s also an external door in the laundry to access the backyard.
The timber bench in the powder room downstairs is also from the historic Bonded Stores building. Barroso designed and had the basin custom made from steel, which he then again coated with Penetrol. It’s completely unique in design and appearance, and only cost $60.
The open-plan nature of the kitchen and living area, along with the generous timber-framed glass doors and windows, allows the outdoors to be seen from all indoor areas of the ground level.
A seamless connection of the living areas with the backyard was achieved through the installation of large operable doors. “Once you open those large sliding doors, the whole living area opens right up and the space is just continuous,” explains Barroso.
The dining table was made and designed by Valter and Barroso, from formply.
The dining table was made and designed by Valter and Barroso, from formply.
The downstairs living area is by far Barroso and Valter’s favourite spot in the house. They enjoy the connection between rooms and it’s a prime spot for entertaining. “We love food so much, so it’s really nice to be able to cook in the kitchen and not feel disconnected from the rest of the guests, if they were in the lounge or even outside,” says Valter.
The marble used throughout the house is dark-veined statuario in a light grey. The couple prioritised spending more money on certain parts of the house, and this included the kitchen becoming a main feature of home. “We wanted it to be a standout feature and really make the marble pop against the concrete floors and monument colour cabinets,” says Barroso.
There is also feature lighting above the island bench, which can be easily switched on or off and even has a dimmer control. “It’s actually just the right amount of light to have on when we are downstairs watching TV at night and don’t want to trip over getting up the stairs,” laughs Barroso.
The cost of the renovation from start to finish, including all interior products, was approximately $700,000. Some aspects of the renovation were less expensive for the couple, as they completed a lot by themselves. For example, polishing the concrete and even making this coffee table from leftover marble from the kitchen island. They also completed all of the landscaping, with a little help from Barroso’s dad, who has a very keen green thumb.
One of these landscaping triumphs including this mini ecosystem in the newly added courtyard, which is located centrally between the old cottage and the contemporary extension. “Our courtyard is our favourite green/sustainable aspect of the entire house, as we created a mini ecosystem within our pond feature,” says Barroso. All of the plants used in the pond, along with the fish, create the ecosystem to make everything work, without the busy couple having to add or do anything to it.
“Saturday afternoons are our favourite day to sit in the courtyard,” says Barroso. “After cleaning the house, we can just look around our beautiful home and feel a real sense of accomplishment, especially at our age!”
On reaching the second floor via the extended section of the home, you are immediately reminded of the existing cottage. It is visible across the divide above the courtyard, and this is where the connection to the old home is accessible.
The black table was sourced from Morocco and is made of tyre tread.
The black table was sourced from Morocco and is made of tyre tread.
The connection between new and old is notably different to any other part of the home. It’s a breezeway bridge which takes in an aerial view of the courtyard below, and is an essential component of the renovation.
Stepping into the original cottage from the bridge, Barroso wanted it to feel different, but maintain a seamless connection. He used Australian spotted gum for the flooring of the new section, as he noticed a similarity in the colours and shades of the existing floorboards in the cottage.
The original kitchen is now the study nook and entry. The original floorboards, timber panelled walls and window all remained, and now work beautifully with the statuario marble bench and industrial pendant lights. The couple have very clearly paid homage to the home’s long history. Barroso says that they specifically wanted to honour and pay respect to the past in their renovation. “Not many people can say they own an 1800s workers cottage”.
Two sizeable bedrooms now sit at the front of the cottage. Barroso’s sister Helena helped the couple with the styling of their home. “Helena has such a great vision and we loved the styling she had done in previous spaces for other clients of hers,” exclaims Valter.
The main bedroom in the cottage is located where the previous lounge room once was. The door still opens to the front verandah, which is no longer accessible from exterior stairs. It instead provides a private balcony for this part of the home. Barosso also included built-in wardrobes that are all the same throughout each bedroom in the home.
The couple really wanted the main bathroom to be spacious and modern but still in keeping with the style of the rest of their home. They put new windows above the bath and in the powder room beside this space, as this wall had previously included a small back deck. Doing this has meant that the new windows face the new part of the home, which is a little nod to the fresh chapter in this old home’s life.
The house has a coherent flow all the way through, no matter what room you are in, which is what the pair envisaged from the start. “We basically love simple and modern styles that are also practical, and we feel the house truly reflects that,” says Barroso.
Back in the modern extension, another guest and master bedroom make the prospect of having guests no trouble at all. They are located at the rear of the home on the second floor.
The main bedroom also has an ensuite. Statuario marble was used here as well, and the tiles are the same as those in the main bathroom, downstairs powder room and the laundry, which keeps the wet rooms consistent in design.
A balcony joins the two bedrooms and provides another outdoor area where the couple and their guests can enjoy the beautiful Queensland sunshine.
TELL US
What do you love about this contemporary renovation and extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
TELL US
What do you love about this contemporary renovation and extension? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Barroso and Valter, who originally met in primary school, saved every cent to put down a deposit on this property back in 2012 at the age of 23. During the first year of owning their home, they spent weekends and evenings after work renovating the original cottage, and continued to save for the extension renovation. “Our families helped us out so much, which we are so grateful for,” explains Valter.
While the young couple started making the original cottage more liveable, they were still keen to retain the original character and features as much as possible, while also planning a major contemporary extension at the back of the home. “We love old houses and wanted to make sure the design didn’t alter the look of the cottage, after all it’s a piece of history,” says Valter. “Looking around Brisbane, watching all these old houses get knocked down is just so sad. We felt good knowing that we are keeping a slice of history alive in the city.”