When tapped to redesign a darling cottage in Brisbane's Little Italy, the team at Cavill Architects was inspired by "architecture with veneration for the past." As a result, the newly remodeled dwelling now pays homage to the Italian migrant workers' housing that was a crucial part of the Australian city's post-war settlement.



Beginning at the front, the garden walls meander under the existing cottage and finish at the rear of the site.

Imagined as a series of repurposed garden walls, the home indeed takes on a Mediterranean-like feel with bright, open rooms, white stucco walls, and a living space that is fully integrated into its glorious garden setting.



The open kitchen has a warm Mediterranean-like feel and overlooks the central garden.



Large sliding doors fully enable indoor/outdoor living.



The notion of an integrated indoor/outdoor experience runs counter to the plan of a traditional Queensland worker's cottage, where the living areas often sit alongside an external deck.



Rather than opting for the schematic, open-plan design of the renovated Queensland worker's cottage, the formalized living, sitting, and dining areas are compartmentalized; each room is dedicated to their function.



The minimalist material palette is a mix of whitewashed stucco, wood, and concrete.



A quiet office nook.



Even the bathrooms have a luminous feel.

The firm has also preserved features typical to the pre-war worker's cottage.



Everything has been planned with particular attention to the character of the streetscape and the preservation of the landscape. The garage door has been integrated with a timber screen, which provides visual relief and delicately mediates between public and private space.