Heritage Cottage

We recently completed a beautiful small-scale project on a heritage-listed cottage in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. The brief was to replace a deteriorating old brick wall at the front of the property with a new picket fence that complied with strict heritage guidelines. The local council required the use of a traditional picket design to ensure the new fence complemented the historic character of the home.

As part of the works, we also cleared the existing front garden and rebuilt it in line with the architect’s plans. This included setting out the new garden beds, installing compact gravel, and placing custom circular corten steel planters to enhance the street appeal while staying true to the cottage’s historic charm.

A particularly rewarding element was uncovering and reusing the original 1880s pavers. We carefully lifted and relaid them to form the new garden paths, preserving the cottage’s history while creating a refreshed, functional layout.

Additional works included installing a side fence and a discreet bin screen, keeping practical elements out of view without compromising aesthetics. Most recently, we added a simple yet solid timber fence with wide gates at the rear laneway to allow car access while maintaining privacy and a cohesive style throughout the property.

This project was a pleasure to be part of, a great example of thoughtful, heritage-sensitive construction that blends old and new.