A 1960s residence built by renowned Australian developers Pettit & Sevitt has been thoughtfully renovated and expanded by Studio Prineas, creating a multi-generational family home that honors its midcentury heritage while meeting contemporary needs. The New Line House project in East Ryde, Sydney, demonstrates how architectural legacy can be preserved while adapting spaces for modern family life.
Pettit & Sevitt, often called the "Eichler of Australia," collaborated with architects Ken Woolley and Michael Dysart in the 1960s to bring quality modern architecture to suburban areas. They developed simple, functional, and affordable homes that responded thoughtfully to Australia's natural landscape. The renovated property represents a well-preserved example of their second housing model, "The Lowline," which the current owners inherited as the client's childhood home.
The original single-story structure was positioned to preserve the site's natural slope, featuring a flat roof perched above a steep driveway and garage area. While Studio Prineas initially proposed maintaining the single-level layout with a rear pavilion connected by a glazed link, the family ultimately decided to add a second story to accommodate bedrooms and ensure their young children felt connected throughout the home.
The renovation began with relocating the main entrance to the opposite side of the house, creating a more intuitive approach from the street. Visitors now experience a stepped garden pathway leading to an intimate entry courtyard with built-in tiled seating that enhances the arrival experience and establishes the interior's welcoming tone.
Inside the 2,950-square-foot home, the front section houses a lounge room and study, both offering elevated views across the tree-lined street. The architects replaced the original spiral staircase with a playful open-tread design that follows the home's central corridor spine. Practical spaces including a laundry, walk-in pantry, and powder room are discretely positioned, allowing the kitchen, dining, and living areas along the northern elevation to maximize garden and pool views against the property's natural rock outcrop.
The upper level accommodates four bedrooms and a small sitting area, comfortably housing the young family and visiting guests. The large bathroom was designed for shared use, with the vanity separated from other fixtures to allow multiple family members to use the space simultaneously. On the lower ground level, additional excavation created space for a nanny's bedroom and bathroom adjacent to the garage, plus a storage wall, wine cellar, and cinema room.
From the street, the addition appears as a seamless continuation of Pettit & Sevitt's original architectural language. Studio Prineas carefully aligned the upper level with the home's existing brick piers and echoed the horizontal roof band. Integrated landscaping softens the transition between old and new sections, with the original volume distinguished by horizontal cladding and the addition clad in prefinished fiber cement sheeting featuring fine vertical ribbing for durability and low maintenance.
The interior design preserves the house's authentic midcentury appeal through a nostalgic material palette including walnut veneer, laminate surfaces, colored carpeting, mosaic tiling, and crazy paving in earth tones that harmonize with the surrounding landscape. The kitchen's tiled island bench, enhanced with a functional stainless steel inset, offers a contemporary interpretation of classic modernist tiled countertops, while bedroom wardrobes reference freestanding midcentury designs with timber legs and expressed laminate construction.
In a particularly sentimental touch, the design team repurposed the home's original curtains as upholstery for window seats, creating a tender connection to the house's history and the client's childhood memories of her mother. The space is furnished with iconic pieces including Louis Poulsen PH5 pendant lights, Le Corbusier's Lampe de Marseille Mini Nemo wall lights, and furniture by celebrated Australian modernist designer Grant Featherston, including his R160 Contour chair and Scape armchair with footstool.
The project team included Beach Houses Australia as builder, Partridge Partners as structural engineers, Spirit Level for landscape design, and Finch Projects for cabinetry installation. Original artwork by Tiarna Herzeg and Ann Thompson completes the interior, while photographer Clinton Weaver documented the finished spaces. The renovation successfully demonstrates how midcentury architecture can be sensitively updated to serve contemporary family needs while maintaining its essential character and connection to Australia's modernist housing heritage.
