The imaginative architectural redesign of one of Balmain's signature weatherboard cottages has created a vibrant contemporary four-bedroom home without sacrificing its significant historic charm. Just 150m to the heart of the village, the freestanding two-storey home has been designed to embrace the outdoors with a dramatic pavilion-style extension that links the living space to an entertainer's deck wrapped in established native gardens. A creative fusion of old and new delivers a sense of belonging with a clever use of space that maximises functionality and a pared back palette of timber, stone and glass for a laidback and highly liveable feel.