A metre of extra height was all it took to bring city views, natural light and a new chapter to this Queenslander.
Some homes aren’t broken; they’ve simply been outgrown. That was the position the owners of this Windsor Queenslander found themselves in. They loved living there, but the house held spaces that no longer earned their keep. “As with a lot of Queenslanders, they had a beautiful formal lounge room and dining room, however these spaces were hardly used,” explains Mitchell Curtis, director of Watara Homes. With children moving toward adulthood, the family needed flexible, independent spaces that would let everyone live comfortably under the one roof.
A QUEENSLANDER RENOVATION: BUILDABILITY FROM DAY ONE
Designed by David Hansford of DAH Architecture, the project brought Watara Homes in early, and Mitchell credits that timing with much of the outcome. “Watara’s early involvement allowed us to offer valuable feedback on buildability and value management,” he says. “This gave our clients the opportunity to refine their material selections, ensuring they achieved a premium finish within budget.”
The site set the agenda. Elevated and looking toward the Brisbane city skyline, the block invited the project’s boldest move: raising the house by about one metre. “We raised the house to bring more natural light inside and capture the city views, while carefully maintaining proportions that still felt appropriate within the streetscape,” Mitchell explains. The sloping site also allowed the garage to be relocated to street level, freeing the lower floor for living.
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THE MODERN QUEENSLANDER: OLD CHARACTER, CONTEMPORARY INTERVENTIONS
David describes the design as one that “celebrates the home’s traditional character through a series of subtle contemporary interventions while also strengthening the connection between the home and its setting.”
The balance runs through every selection. The stained glass in the main upstairs entry remains, along with original-style bedroom doors and VJ walls, while modern sliding doors, natural stone and slimline handle-free cabinetry carry the home forward. Timber flooring from Woodcut runs across both levels in a lighter tone than the originals, keeping the material story consistent. Dolomite from Signorino was chosen for the kitchen island and benches, with natural stone repeated around the fireplace, larger format tiles from Artedomus in the bathrooms, and limestone now surrounding the pool. At the heart of the home sits its most considered element: an internal staircase relocated to the centre of the house, designed to float free of the wall. “The intent was for the stairs to be both functional and aesthetically impactful, and it took some time to get the look and feel exactly as we wanted it to be,” Mitchell reflects.
MULTI-GENERATIONAL HOME DESIGN: SPACE TO LIVE TOGETHER, AND APART
For David, the brief was clear from the outset: a multi-generational home that could adapt as the children moved into adulthood. The lower level was reconfigured as a self-contained living area with a stronger connection to the garden and pool, while the upper level was opened up to maximise the city views. “The design balances privacy and independence for family members with generous shared spaces that encourage connection and social interaction,” he explains.
That thinking plays out on both levels. Downstairs, the renovation created bedrooms, a shared living area and individual bathrooms for the family’s young adults, “although there was ongoing debate about who would get the ensuite,” Mitchell adds. Upstairs retains three bedrooms, including the main, a deliberate decision to keep the home flexible for whatever comes next.
The transformation is most keenly felt where the family gathers. “One of our favourite outcomes is the openness and connection created between the upstairs kitchen, living, dining and outdoor entertaining areas,” Mitchell says. “It allows the kitchen to remain central while giving the family a more natural place to gather, share meals and enjoy dinners together.” Beyond the glass, landscaping by Green Care Project settles the home into its elevated block, while from sunrise through the living areas to sunset on the balcony, the house now makes the most of its position.
For the homeowners, the result honours what mattered most. “The home now honours their existing memories while creating space for new ones,” Mitchell says. “Every room now has a clear purpose and a stronger connection to the next, the children have spaces of their own, and the whole home feels comfortable and lived in.”
Photography: Françoise Baudet | Styling: Erica Noble
