Curtain Cottage is a project designed by Apparte Studio and is located in Melbourne , Australia. Photography by Daniel Aulsebrook

A cramped, dark and damp Victorian cottage is transformed into a light-filled, flowing and uplifting home, while referencing original features of the house. The project is unique in that the architect was also its builder and joiner, so this provided the opportunity to test out ambitious ideas and their consequence during construction. One of the special aspects about this project is the play of contrasts between the modest facade and what lies inside. Like a veil of camouflage, the front gives nothing away of its contents and remains perfectly anonymous.
Brief

This was an investment project for the studio so we set a hypothetical brief as follows. How might a professional couple live comfortably inside a formerly tight and dingy Victorian of 60m2" To add to the challenge, an extension was out of the question due to budget constraints, so all changes had to be made inside the existing envelope. Plan

We felt a couple would only need one dedicated bedroom so the front room could be incorporated into the hallway and become a flexible and open living space. On the occasion that guests stay over, a curtain can be pulled across to ‘€˜wall’€™ off a spare room.
The kitchen was reconfigured to include a generous island for ease of circulation and encourage shared cooking. The dini...