To stay or to go? This was the question Rhiannon Barlow and Andrew Moore asked as they sought to accommodate their growing family, now comprising their two young children, Archie and Piper, and their golden retriever, Murphy.

It had been several years since they first moved into their Californian bungalow in the Sydney suburb of Waverley, tucked between Bondi Beach and the CBD. They ultimately decided the house had the potential to become the “perfect family home”—largely thanks to the charms of its typology and the perks of its location—so they asked their friend, architect Bronwyn Litera, how she’d approach its transformation.

Before: Facade

After: Facade

“I only recently found out that they were casually interviewing me,” says Litera with a laugh. “Andrew just asked, ‘What would you do, and how would you do it?’ We had a very general chat.” Later, they reached out to Litera’s studio, LiteraTrotta, which she directs with Chris Trotta, and said, “We want to formalize it.”

For Rhiannon, it was a no-brainer. “When we first decided on renovating, Bronwyn and Chris were the first people we wanted to talk to about it,” she says. “Once we had an initial meeting and they came up with some design ideas we were thrilled with them, so it just went from there.”

Before: Entryway

After: Entryway

Now, a generous entryway draws the eye to the evocative curves of the spiral staircase, illuminated by a skylight above. “We used a lovely, soft ‘crazy pave’ from Eco Outdoor for the entry and a side path to the barbecue,” notes Litera." layout="" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>

The existing house was a long and skinny, freestanding single-story volume with a “structurally questionable” first-floor addition hosting a single bedroom and a wobbly balcony. “The old house was made up of lots of small rooms, and the middle of the house felt very dark,” says Rhiannon. “We always felt it would be more modern to open the rooms up.”

In addition, the compact sloping site disconnected the house from its outdoor spaces. “The backyard was separated from the house by an external staircase, making it largely unusable or difficult to entertain in, which we found a real challenge,” she adds.

Before: Kitchen and Living Room

After: Kitchen and Living Room

Opening up the house to enhance daylight and indoor/outdoor flow while preserving privacy was key. According to Rhiannon, their brief was to create a beautiful, light-filled modern family home in keeping with the original architecture. “Our only nonnegotiables were that it must have four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and open-plan living/kitchen/dining space,” she says. “We really wanted to have an indoor/outdoor feel to the living room, and we wanted to be able to bring the house down to ground level so that the backyard was much more functional for our day-to-day lives.”

LiteraTrotta’s plan involved a major intervention. “We chopped the existing house in half,” says Litera. “We kept the front of the house, and the back of the house was rebuilt with a new slab on the ground. Then we added an extension above. That was a real win, because it got Rhiannon and Andrew a really big extra bedroom upstairs.”

Playful “peekaboo” windows on the north-facing wall frame the natural surroundings, rather than the neighbors’ windows. “The pendant we specified, knowing a dining table would be there,” notes Trotta. “Our clients were keen to have something beautiful. We put forward this one, the Covenant pendant by Lost Profile Studio, which they adored.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>An open-plan kitchen blends into a living room in the bungalow’s rebuilt back section. " layout="bleed" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>

To illuminate the living spaces while maintaining privacy, Litera says they devised some “really fun peekaboo windows on the northern side which jump around across the facade and allow views at different heights.”

“You still get a lot of light, but you’re not looking directly through at another person’s window,” the architect explains. “Instead, they focus more on the garden or the sky.”

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

Having sorted out the core structural interventions, the architects could turn their focus to mood and materials. “Rhiannon and Andrew are very warm, playful, happy people,” Litera says. “They came to us originally wanting a sort of Hamptons feel—something that was quite warm, with timber in particular.”

Seeking a consistent architectural language for the old and new parts of the house, LiteraTrotta took their cues from its existing material palette. “The walls were all in brickwork,” explains Litera. “We wanted a simple way of connecting the old to the new brickwork so we bagged the old brickwork to give it texture while keeping it bright and fresh. Upstairs, we used painted timber panelling—it’s a really cost-effective finish, but it adds a bit of texture as well.”

After: Primary Suite

Peekaboo windows continue on the upper level. Large sliders open the light-flooded primary bedroom to a small balcony." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>

The home’s windows, doors, and solid wood balustrade are made of blonde-toned Accoya timber. Warm oak floors, smooth concrete, and timber joinery are accented with aged brass details and ochre tilework.

Like the kitchen counters, the vanity in the primary bathroom is made of quartize with veins that Litera likens to a spider’s web. “We kept highlight windows between the robe and the bathroom to just bring in as much light as possible.”" layout="" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>

“The house was quite angular, with very pitched ceilings, angular roofs to the front, and a dramatic rear facade,” says Litera. “We wanted to try and soften some of those moments and transitions.” To this end they devised a sculptural stair that curves up toward a generous half-moon skylight, joining the home’s two levels around an eye-catching focal point. It’s one of Rhiannon’s favorite features—and visitors concur. “The staircase is what seems to impress most of our guests,” she says.

After: Staircase

After: Kids’ Room

“As our clients live in the space, we want them to discover new things,” says Trotta. “Things can look beautiful, but it’s your experience of them every day that makes them special.”" layout="wide" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>

Out in the back garden, the branches of a Box Brush tree drip with hanging lights near a deck with built-in seating that echoes the staircase in its curved shape. The kids can enjoy playing in the grass while their parents tend to the barbecue or host drinks with friends. “I think they’ve made it a really lush, beautiful place to spend time,” notes Trotta.

Crazy pave stones from Eco Outdoor visually connect the back patio to the front garden. “We like the subtlety from the street,” says Rhiannon. You look at it twice before you realize it’s new. The window at the front speaks to that, and gives you a first glimpse: ‘Oh, that's interesting. What is that?’”

Before: Rear Facade

After: Rear Facade

inear and tonal clarity unites the rear facade in a visually pleasing manner. Soft white bagged brick is complemented with natural oiled Accoya timber. " layout="" credit="Photo by Tom Ferguson" photoUserId=""/>

With its soft curves, brightened natural palette, and resolute openness, the home embodies the warmth and energy Rhiannon and Andrew were after. “The outdoor/indoor aspect of our living and kitchen area has allowed us to entertain more,” Rhiannon enthuses. “We love how light the home feels—not only through clever architecture, including playful positions of windows and the skylights, but also the color palette. Our home is really calming, yet homely. It just feels good to be in.”

More Before & After stories:

In Australia, a Tumbledown Midcentury Is Leveled Up With a Sculptural Stair

An Architect’s Ever-Changing Bungalow Evolves Over Seven Years

Twinning Homes in Melbourne Go From Ramshackle to Ravishing

Project Credits:

Architect and Interior Designer: LiteraTrotta / @literatrotta

Architecture Builder: Arch Building and Construction

Structural Engineer: ROR Engineers

Landscape Design: Spirit Level / @spiritleveldesigns

Soft Furnishings: Studio Aquilo

Carpentry: FAF Woodwork

Stylist: Holly Irvine Studio