Plaster Fun House: A simple cottage gets a glamorous, art deco-inspired makeover

Taking aesthetic cues from its stylish owners, a simple suburban cottage’s renovation combines everyday functionality and old-school glamour.

Located in Torrensville in South Australia and surrounded by 1900s workers’ cottages and 1960s brick homes, the Plaster Fun House brings fun and a sense of exuberance to the area.

“We wanted the home to form its own identity,” says Matiya Marovich, director at Sans-Arc Studio. “It’s a little oasis in this humble inner-city suburb. It’s a home that feels unexpected and beautifully out of place.”

With a footprint of 135 square metres, the owners wanted to maximise space, light and functionality in their two-bedroom home.

“They wanted to replace the small lean-to on their cottage with a functional kitchen that provided them with an entertaining space that opens up to the backyard,” says Marovich.

“Spatially we spliced the existing residence. The cottage already housed a good-sized dining room, which was integrated into the extension by running a singular kitchen island/dining table through the two spaces. The existing bathroom was expanded and a laundry added adjacent [to it].”

The most significant move to amplify space was to integrate the kitchen island and the dining table, and open up the rear wall of the existing house. “Adding the laundry as a walk-through space to the bathroom created a real feel of openness,” he says.

The cottage’s simplistic but fantastical styling was inspired by the owners themselves. “Their style and taste had a real impact,” says Marovich. “They dress in bold bright colours and own an extensive collection of unique Italian and Czechoslovakia glassware and German pottery.”

The owner’s love of art deco and P & O Architecture, a 1930s style inspired by cruise liners that is clean and minimalist yet exudes luxury, also drove the project. “They wanted an art deco-inspired addition with a nice space to cook and relax,” he says. “Fun, curvy, colourful and full of light. It’s a little extension with a big personality.”

To allow as much light into the home as possible, the extension is set back from the northern boundary which allows natural light to flood into the kitchen, while the laundry and bathroom depend on well-placed skylights.

“The opportunity to bring the sun in has been embraced,” he says. “The addition softens into the backyard, letting more greenery and light in than any other part of the house. The space feels like an oasis – a bright, art deco moment within a largely austere suburb.”

A standout feature in the kitchen is the clever use of terrazzo, a subtle nod says Marovich to the 1950s and 1960s Italian-inspired porches in the area.

“The idea was to define zones within the space through colour, and using joinery with a similarly coloured terrazzo bench-top to create a subtle contrast,” he says. “We worked with Love Concrete to create two terrazzo colours unique to the project. We hand-mixed samples, came up with four revisions, and ended up with a pink and a blue we were very happy with.”

The home is not only functional but environmentally friendly too. “We have a set of principles we abide by when it comes to material selection and sustainability,” he says.

“We used a timber frame, minimised the use of structural steel, insulated well, embraced passive design principles, and selected materials responsibly wherever possible. The building is clad in highly insulated EPS panel with deep reveals to the windows which adds some degree of shading.”

The clever addition to this little cottage has made it a home that is fabulously cool without feeling flamboyant, and cozy rather than quotidian. “The owners love their house,” says Marovich. “We are chuffed with the final result too. It is a fun and warm space to be in. What more could you ask for?”