Nestled amongst the Victorian row houses of Newtown lies Townie, a truly unique terrace redesigned to cater to two exceptionally talented artists: a concert pianist and a painter. Respecting their privacy and artistic sensibilities, we relished the opportunity to work on this project, meeting the specific needs of our special clients. With difficult access and a modest budget, the project required innovative solutions to create functional spaces. The ground floor studio allows the painter to easily manoeuvre her works, while the piano room on the second floor, filled with books and natural light, offers an ideal acoustic environment to practice. Skylights and high ceilings enhance the artistic atmosphere, making each room a bright and expressive experience.
Location Newtown, Sydney
Type 2 Storey Terrace
Works Alterations & Additions
Scope Concept Design to Construction
Status Built
Active 2020 - 2021
“We were initially nervous about working with an architect because we had no experience in this area at all. But really, over a year later, we think back to ourselves how lucky it was we did work with Nikki and the team at Studio Coco. She explained things clearly and simply and was from the outset every bit as passionate about our project as we were. She went out of her way to ensure not just the big things were being handled, but the small details too. She realised without us saying anything that this was probably the biggest investment we had ever made and she was cognisant of the scale of this project for us, a normal middle class couple. We simply could not have done this without her, and breathe a sigh of relief that we decided to engage expert help. From outset to completion, there was not one stage that we felt she was not unbelievably attentive. So many forms to fill out, so many permissions to obtain, and she did it all. We just sat back and thanked ourselves for taking the plunge with her.
Mention must also be made about her artistry and creativity. Like most people we didn’t have an unlimited budget, and somehow Nikki managed to ensure that we have a home that any person would be proud of. It is airy, light, bright, filled with our personalities and we don’t want to leave! She has truly transformed what was a nice house into a home for life. I would recommend Nikki for ANY project, big to small, no matter who you are and what your aesthetic happens to be. In our case our home was too small for our professional purposes (we are both ‘creatives’) and yet being in inner Sydney we didn’t have that much space to play with. Somehow Nikki has given us a palace on a small budget! Ten out of 10.”