As a compelling case for living small, living close and living well, City Cottage by Sans-Arc expands on an existing heritage row home. The project contains the addition away from view, while integrating amenity across two levels.
For director Matiya Marovich, City Cottage is inseparable from the lives of its owners. “They’ve lived in this row house for about 15 years,” he explains. “They love the city, they know their neighbours, and they wanted more of a city-post to live in – something calm that still keeps them immersed in that environment.”
The couple are behind venues that have helped shape Adelaide’s contemporary hospitality landscape, including Pink Moon Saloon, Part Time Lover and Sofia. Their work revolves around people, creating places where conversation, food and shared experiences unfold – yet their very own home operates as a deliberate counterpoint.
“Both [the owners] are very much ‘people’ people and their work is incredibly social,” says Marovich. “But they wanted their house to feel calm, clean and restorative – almost as a retreat from that constant energy of their daily lives.”
Working within a strict heritage overlay, Sans-Arc retained the original stone house frontage intact and front rooms, with the new form addition sitting discreetly behind the existing roofline, intentionally concealed from the street. “It meant we were working within a tight envelope,” he adds, “but it became a really good example of how heritage buildings can evolve while still appearing untouched.”
Rather than dividing the home into conventional rooms, spaces unfold through subtle shifts in volume – compressions and expansions that allow the interior to remain open while still offering moments of retreat.
“The clients didn’t want a traditional dining room,” Marovich says. “They entertain the way they do in hospitality settings – more casual, more about lounging and gathering around food.” At the centre of the plan sits an oversized, elevated kitchen island that anchors the space socially and spatially. Flanked by lounges on either side, it functions as the heart of the home. “It’s almost like a chef’s island,” he says. “It links directly to their hospitality background – it’s where people gather, cook and spend time together.”
A sunken living area subtly increases the perceived height of the living room, creating a secondary zone within the open plan, maintaining visibility and connection. The move reinforces a sense of openness without sacrificing intimacy.
Meanwhile, natural light proved a challenge, given that the home sits between two row houses on either side. The result takes full advantage on an existing lightwell that was both retained and expanded. “Getting natural light into the spaces was absolutely critical,” Marovich explains. “We maintained the existing light court and opened the rear further to pull light deep into the living areas and upstairs bedrooms.”
Related: Gelato Messina also by Sans-Arc
An overall restrained palette offers a balance to some of the more Victorian-era heritage detailing throughout. With the brief centring around wanting a largely bright and ‘white’ home – inferring that they wanted it to be calm, durable and minimal – references of the pace of Byron Bay were used also.
“They wanted something crisp and uncluttered,” says Marovich. “Many of the fixtures, appliances and lighting have all been used in their venues across the city – systems they know work well.” And together with commissioning artists with whom they also had developed longstanding relationships with (through their venues), the walls also reflect those collaborations, adding a layer of narrative and imbedding more of themselves internally.
Mirroring the rhythm of its owners’ lives, City Cottage combines past and present through a lens of restraint and clarity, adding just enough to honour the origins of the home while being the ideal base. “They’re incredibly active participants in the city,” Marovich reflects. “This house celebrates that: it’s a place that feels calm and private, but still deeply connected to the community and the city around it.”
