The Impossible House, as seen on Grand Designs Australia

This frankly fabulous quirky cottage was completely gutted and brought back to life with sustainability and colour at its core.

Interior designer Denby Dowling really had fun with it, using her signature style for creating unique homes, as well as sustainability top of mind. “The Impossible House Project was a full renovation and restoration, maximising sustainable practice, prefab, solar, water and a design scheme that upcycles and includes genuinely green products, materials, solutions and suppliers,” she explained.

The home, in Sydney’s Newtown, was seen on the latest series of Grand Designs Australia last month. “It was an 1800s dilapidated, crumbling two-bedroom heritage workers cottage with a shocking add-on at the back,” Denby says. “It was run down, falling apart and ugly with no soul. It had been left to crumble. It was very sad to see this cute little cottage as neglected as it was. The brief was to create an off-grid home. We wanted to create a designer home like no other.”

The entire home was gutted and the add-on at the back removed. They added a second floor with a study and terrace and restored the front courtyard.

“We rescued and restored the two bedrooms, created an ensuite bathroom which is both contemporary yet pays homage to the period of the home, designed and installed cabinetry throughout, a new kitchen, living space and internal courtyard with the focus on clever storage,” Denby explains. A new wiring and lighting scheme went in, as well as paint and wallpaper throughout, recycled floorboards and bricks and sustainable timber for the prefab section.

Denby made sure all suppliers, materials, products and furnishings and selections adhered to authentic sustainable practice. “Everything we did was focused on restoring the workers cottage to its former glory and then some, with a sustainable focus.

“The new bathroom, kitchen and living spaces, whilst being small, were practical and had everything you need in terms of form and function. We focused on clever functionality, lots of colour and designer features that you probably wouldn’t generally consider as part of a sustainable home.”

The house was painted in bright bold colours using low VOC Murobond paint and papered with designer handprinted wallpaper from Publisher Textiles, made in Australia.

The solid cedar staircase was the biggest bargain, found on Facebook Marketplace for just $1,000! “I redesigned the shape so it would fit and gave it some curves. The bright yellow and pink custom-made stair runner from Gibbon Group is one of my all time faves. It’s gorgeous and adds punch to the home.”

She adds: “What was once a dark, cold and gloomy house is now a bright and funky contemporary space. I love the colour and quirk and the fact that the contemporary home still plays homage to the original features and period of the home.”

Sadly, the off-grid goal was not quite achieved, although it’s hoped to get there eventually. Denby is nonetheless rightly proud of everything they achieved. “It was a difficult space with bad access and the local council knocked back the solar panels on the north-facing roof, making it difficult to achieve our goals. But the house now sings after its renovation and restoration. It is a designer home like any other yet like no other!”

Denby Dowling Interior Design is a boutique design studio focusing on bespoke design and sustainable practice. They build, redesign, renovate and restore all types of homes and commercial projects. Their focus is on their clients and their individuality, along with the style of the home, whether it be Victorian, Federation, Art Deco or contemporary.

Suppliers

Murobond Paint, DNA Decorators, Windsor Hardware, Sussex Tapware, Publisher Textiles, Gibbon Group, Special Lights, Magins Lighting, Simply Native handmade tiles, custom cabinetry by Florida Design/Forrest One, custom curtains and blinds by Katkalloo.

Photography: Amanda Prior Photography