My Houzz: An All-in-the-Family Warehouse Conversion
This couple’s dream home in Sydney features some impressive reuse and recycling
Joe and Natalie Sidoti are a power couple that run design and construction company SQ Projects in Sydney. And they are living in their dream home, which they were able to move into after a two-year build. But their place, and the build, wouldn’t have been so fulfilling without the help of their SQ Projects family. Every person, in every part of their company, contributed in some way to the warehouse they now live in.
The warehouse’s exterior presents a humble visage on a corner in Annandale, an area of Sydney, yet is so impressive that it won a 2016 award for adaptive reuse from the Master Builders Association in Australia.
The warehouse’s exterior presents a humble visage on a corner in Annandale, an area of Sydney, yet is so impressive that it won a 2016 award for adaptive reuse from the Master Builders Association in Australia.
The second floor holds the master suite, the children’s bedroom, a guest bedroom, the main bathroom and a recreation room.
The company stripped out and excavated the entire warehouse, then constructed the two-story interior using steel and wood frames.
One of the goals when designing the space was to reuse materials from the original warehouse as much as possible. The sawtooth trusses, as seen in the glass bridge, were kept, showing off the property’s history. The wood columns that supported the trusses were de-nailed, scanned for metal and then sent to a sawmill to be “sliced” back to nearly 2-inch-thick sections. These pieces were then reused in the kitchen countertop, en suite vanity bench, entry gate and the dining table.
One of the goals when designing the space was to reuse materials from the original warehouse as much as possible. The sawtooth trusses, as seen in the glass bridge, were kept, showing off the property’s history. The wood columns that supported the trusses were de-nailed, scanned for metal and then sent to a sawmill to be “sliced” back to nearly 2-inch-thick sections. These pieces were then reused in the kitchen countertop, en suite vanity bench, entry gate and the dining table.
Paintings and artworks from all around the world line the corridor. “The collection is from all our travels. There’s a story to each artwork,” Joe says. The mismatched frames and staggered placement create a free-flow wave in contrast to the sturdy wooden beams surrounding them.
Natalie, an international flight attendant for 20 years, has stayed in many different hotels around the world but says her favorite “hotel” is the warehouse’s master bedroom. “It has an incredible view, and the TV just sits right there, in front of me. It’s perfect,” she says.
Attached to the master bedroom is the en suite, which features a French-limestone floor. The trusses of the original warehouse also feature in the design.
The kids’ room is filled with natural light (and their artwork), thanks to clerestory windows, which also assist with airflow.
Wallpaper: Sparkk
Wallpaper: Sparkk
At the end of the corridor, an open breakout space is warmed up with vibrant accessories. This recreation room was specially created for the couple’s twins with the aim of allowing them to release their creativity and absorb the natural light that shines through an overhead skylight.
The exposed brick wall behind the sofa was sanded down by hand, a monthlong project.
The exposed brick wall behind the sofa was sanded down by hand, a monthlong project.
Exposed brick walls are a feature carried through the warehouse, including in the main bathroom. And since the warehouse is not a project but a home, Natalie is still looking to add more features to this space.
London cast-iron bath: Prodigg
London cast-iron bath: Prodigg
Joe is seen on the stairwell with one of the family’s many artworks.
This man cave is the first space you see once you enter the warehouse. It also acts as an office for off-site days and client meetings.
Joe recalls the day that construction ended, when everyone cracked open a beer in this room and had a raucous celebration. It is now nicknamed The Bar.
Joe recalls the day that construction ended, when everyone cracked open a beer in this room and had a raucous celebration. It is now nicknamed The Bar.
Architect David Maes gave this framed artwork to the family for their first Christmas in the home, and it now sits in the man cave. The artwork is hand drawings of the warehouse in its design stages. “Everything was by hand, and that’s how we would give it to our carpenters,” Joe says.
Adjacent to the man cave is a bathroom that has been designed to match the cozy, masculine feel of the cave. Wooden textures and brass features are seen throughout.
The shower screen was salvaged from a heritage project that the company was working on simultaneously in nearby Balmain. Other recycled pieces from this project included the laundry tub, copper piping for handrails, bricks for the garage and a steel section that supports the living room’s lighting track.
The shower screen was salvaged from a heritage project that the company was working on simultaneously in nearby Balmain. Other recycled pieces from this project included the laundry tub, copper piping for handrails, bricks for the garage and a steel section that supports the living room’s lighting track.
Sam Crawford designed the woodwork in the open-plan kitchen. The cabinets employ minimal handles and seamless panels for a clean look.
“As the kitchen is in the center of the house, entertaining is easy,” Natalie says. “I can access the courtyard, see the kids in the [recreation] room and cook all day in this space. We have catered for up to 50 people in this area, and Christmas Day with our extended family is a real party.”
In the adjacent dining area, the dinner table was created by one of SQ Projects’ carpenters, David Komadina, using wood from the original columns.
The home features hydronic gas underfloor heating and a flued, slow-combustion fireplace in the living area.
The laundry room sits in the back of the warehouse. A drying cabinet, hidden behind a wall inside the laundry, allows the Sidotis to hang damp clothing indoors when the weather doesn’t allow for use of a clothesline.
Creating memories never goes out of fashion. Neither does measuring the height of your children on the laundry door. The couple decided to mark their children’s heights on the inside of the door so that the markings wouldn’t be visible and spoil the space’s aesthetics.
What is a childhood dream home without an outdoor basketball hoop? Both Joe and Natalie encourage their kids to enjoy the outdoors and live life freely. On the side of the warehouse, a basketball hoop is attached above the garage door.
“We love having our friends and family over. The kids treat this place like a playground, and we love hearing them running around crazy all over the place. Nothing beats good food and wine at home. This place was built so we could entertain here,” Natalie says.
Steel sections salvaged during the excavation were refurbished and reused for mounting closed-circuit cameras.
“We love having our friends and family over. The kids treat this place like a playground, and we love hearing them running around crazy all over the place. Nothing beats good food and wine at home. This place was built so we could entertain here,” Natalie says.
Steel sections salvaged during the excavation were refurbished and reused for mounting closed-circuit cameras.
Here, Joe and Natalie enjoy the courtyard, where salvaged wood columns were used to create the decking.
A 793-gallon under-deck retention tank enables water reuse for toilets, the laundry and external taps.
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A 793-gallon under-deck retention tank enables water reuse for toilets, the laundry and external taps.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Joe and Natalie Sidoti of SQ Projects, their 8-year-old twins, Claudia and Nicolas, and their dog, Dixie
Location: Annandale, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Size: 8,073 square feet (750 square meters); three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a powder room
The building was bought by Joe in November 2013 after it spent roughly 75 years as a commercial warehouse and then lay vacant for eight years. There had been three previous attempts to turn it into a home, but all were abandoned.
For Joe, it was a no-brainer to use his 14-person building company to help with the conversion. He also wanted his beloved team to add bits and pieces of themselves into the design as they went along. The project team consisted of Joe as project manager, Lindsay Holland as site foreman, Ben Ingaldo and David Komadina as carpenters, and Blair Sully in his role as apprentice. SQ architect David Maes helped Joe take care of the design and detailing.