Elié House is a 1990s Victorian Italian contemporary refactored home located in Sydney's Inner West District, where the head of Prinez Studio, Eva Marie Prineas, and husband Peter Titmus are architects. Balancing charm and livability, families must be able to withstand the shocks of everyday life while providing the flexibility to adapt demand to the constant changes in the family over time. Unlike most terraced residences, both sides are independent, inviting northern lights and natural ventilation, which is rare in homes of this nature. The design team kept in mind the existing narrative of the building and sought to preserve and construct new projects in the history of the house. Despite the narrow footprint, the house was planned to allow the impact of the renovation to transcend aesthetics. By removing a series of incongruous additions, the true size and proportions of the original house are uncovered. Gently falling towards the back of the house, providing space for indoors to outdoors connected to the garden. The outdoor deck is cleverly enclosed within the shell of the old house, while the rear façade is reused as an outdoor fireplace, allowing families to take advantage of this outdoor area throughout the season. In addition, a sunken walled garden offers a quiet area with wild landscapes, cobbled courtyards and chicken coops.
Embracing a concealed finish and a lightweight approach to styling, it highlights the characteristics of the family. The meeting points are well thought out to provide breathing space between the home's original corn, arches, ceiling roses and shapes, and expressions of the new design. The slender high wooden floors are exposed and run the length of the house, continuing on the new deck overlooking the garden. The worn-out timber ceiling is gently referenced on the outer cladding of the home and the benches of the kitchen island. This subtle and intertwined approach avoids the apparent separation between old and new, establishing a mutually engaging dialogue. On this project, Prineas Studios has more time than most to develop a fully functional, holistic home that balances the charm of the elderly with the needs of contemporary life. The design approach advantages of studio prineas advance the studio's approach to designing terrace houses in a broader sense, setting new benchmarks for beautiful, livable outcomes in historic settings.