The best homes reveal themselves slowly. And this one takes its time.
From the street, a modest pre-1911 cottage in New Farm reads quietly — heritage details intact, character carefully preserved. But step through the front door and keep walking. Follow the central hallway as the light gradually intensifies, drawing you forward through the old and into something altogether unexpected.
At the rear, a light-filled contemporary extension unfolds around a courtyard, with soaring timber ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glazing. It’s the kind of spatial surprise that makes you reconsider what’s possible on Brisbane’s tighter inner-city blocks.
For FOLAR Architecture & Interiors director James Foley, that contrast between front and back was entirely the point.
Quality over quantity on a narrow block
The young family of four were outgrowing their cottage, but didn’t want to leave the suburb they loved. The existing living spaces felt cramped, the kitchen outdated. Rather than trade New Farm for something bigger elsewhere, they sought a design solution that would give them the space they needed without overwhelming the site.
James’s guiding concept was rooted in restraint. Rather than maximising footprint, the question became: how do you build less but achieve more? The answer, it turns out, is volume and light.
At the rear, a four-metre-high timber-lined ceiling celebrates the living area, while maximised glazing creates a sense of spatial generosity that comfortably defies the narrow site’s constraints. Above the kitchen and dining zones, a three-metre plasterboard ceiling maintains distinct but connected spaces, each with its own quality and character.
Related article: A Queenslander renovation in Padington yields a contemporary family home
Working with the site, not against it
Narrow Brisbane blocks present familiar challenges. Regulatory setbacks reduce usable width, and homes can easily feel dark and internalised. The courtyard plan addresses this directly, opening to morning sun while turning away from harsh western afternoon heat.
A deliberate level change between cottage and extension negotiates the sloping site and marks the transition from old to new — a threshold designed by FOLAR Architecture to announce the shift from enclosed to open, from private to communal, from heritage to contemporary.
The bedrooms remain in the existing cottage, tucked into the quieter front of the home where they serve as a private retreat. The extension, by contrast, opens entirely to the rear courtyard and outdoor living, prioritising connection to landscape and natural light. Different activities, different energies, the same roof.
Passive design and smart material choices
Cross-ventilation through louvres and the courtyard layout keeps the home cool year-round, reducing reliance on air conditioning. Solar panels support energy efficiency, and the minimised building footprint reflects a conscious philosophy of building less — a decision that served both the budget and the environment.
External materials lean on lightweight fibre cement sheet products, including James Hardie Axon and sheet cladding, keeping the circa $800,000 build on track. Light-coloured roof sheeting reduces solar heat gain.
Inside, the palette designed by FOLAR complements the existing cottage while establishing contemporary clarity. White plasterboard and light timbers create brightness and warmth. Burnished concrete flooring provides smooth, low-maintenance surfaces well suited to family life. Integrated joinery eliminates visual clutter, making every room feel more generous than its actual dimensions suggest.
A home that draws you through it
The central hallway does something quietly clever: it creates a gradual crescendo of natural light from front to back. As you move through the home, the garden beyond becomes naturally illuminated, pulling you forward until you step fully into the courtyard’s embrace.
“The living space lights up during the day through the abundance of natural light and high-level windows behind the TV wall,” James notes.
The front sunroom received careful attention, too, with new louvres, flooring, and cladding bringing the space back to life as a home office. These considered updates satisfied council requirements for the pre-1911 heritage listing without overstatement.
The result is a contemporary yet charming urban home that proves design ambition and heritage sensitivity are not mutually exclusive. For the family living in it now, the proof is in the daily experience.
“They love the functionality and the feel of the home,” James says. “They love to simply spend time there, entertain and enjoy family time.”
Architecture & Interiors: FOLAR Architecture & Interiors | folararchitecture.com.au | @folar_architecture
Photography: Mitchell Kemp
