House Gretchen By Lintel Studio
In Sydney’s Inner West, Lintel Studio has reworked a terrace into a light-filled family home, where a central cube, saturated colour and texture reframe the familiar long-and-narrow plan.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos LUC RÉMOND Landscape DANGAR BARIN SMITH Build ROBERT PLUMB FIX
Instead of a standard open-plan layout, the interior is organised around a freestanding central cube.
House Gretchen resuscitates a tired 1907 terrace for a youthful creative family.
House Gretchen centres on a sculptural cube, with the kitchen, bar and storage built into three of its sides.
The clients’ request for an orange kitchen became the starting point for the use of colour throughout the home.
Terrazzo appears throughout the home, creating a subtle material connection between each space.
By repositioning the internal courtyard and introducing angled skylights above the main bedroom and kitchen, the design brings more natural light and fresh air to flow into the centre of the home.
Lintel Studio landed on a citrus tone that feels deliberate without taking over the spaces.
One of the bedrooms shifts into a softer pink and blue palette, with a touch of terrazzo.
The renovation restored the original heritage frontage while making subtle changes to the front bedrooms.
The custom orange bath was hand-formed and finished by a shipbuilder, adding a bespoke detail to the bathroom.
“House Gretchen is a careful experiment in reimagining the long-and-narrow terrace house typology employed in areas of dense habitation.”
Dangar Barin Smith’s landscape design brings layers of planting around the home, creating a softer transition between the architecture and garden.
A bi-fold garage door creates a discreet street presence, keeping the home out of view.
House Gretchen by Lintel Studio brings colour and light to a 1907 Newtown terrace, where a central volume, saturated colour and crafted details reshape the familiar long, narrow plan.
The owners had lived in the terrace for several years before renovating, with a brief to create a brighter home that still reflected their eclectic tastes. A series of earlier additions had gradually extended the house towards the rear, leaving the centre dark, damp and disconnected from the garden. Water damage discovered during demolition added another challenge to the renovation.
Led by director Emiliano Miranda, Lintel Studio restored the original frontage and front rooms, making subtle changes to improve the proportions of the bedrooms. The later additions were removed, allowing the studio to rethink the narrow footprint without pushing the house further into the site.
Instead of a conventional open-plan layout, a freestanding cube sits at the centre of the new plan. The kitchen, bar, storage and entertainment unit are integrated across three sides, while a pivoting door on the fourth conceals a walk-in laundry. Living and dining sit on either side, creating separation between the spaces while keeping them visually connected.
Bringing natural light into the centre of the terrace was a key part of the design. The internal courtyard was repositioned, while angled skylights above the main bedroom and kitchen introduce more daylight and fresh air. In the laundry, a series of skylights cut through the curved ceiling, bringing an unexpected detail to a practical part of the home.
Colour runs throughout the interiors, beginning with the orange kitchen, where citrus-toned joinery sits against timber cabinetry and terrazzo. Lintel Studio selected the shade to have a strong presence without dominating the room. Blue tiles and a custom orange bath bring colour into the bathroom, while pale pink, coloured glass and green tiles continue the palette elsewhere.
The bath was hand-formed and finished by a shipbuilder, reflecting the attention given to individual details throughout the project. Terrazzo appears across several spaces, creating a subtle material connection through the home.
Recycled Australian hardwood flooring adds another personal detail. Salvaged from a demolished high school gym once attended by one of the owners, the boards still carry sections of the original court markings. A ceramic house number by artist Ebony Russell and a tiled garden mosaic designed by the owners add further individuality.
At the rear, landscaping by Dangar Barin Smith brings planting around the outdoor dining area and garden, creating a closer relationship between the interior and outdoors.
Location: Newtown, NSW/Gadigal Land
Architecture: Lintel Studio
Photography: Luc Rémond
