Sydney's house of the week: A Paddington workers cottage with 'Tardis' appeal

This home has a Tardis-like quality that may have you scratching your head and wondering how so much has been packed onto such a little Paddington block.

The cute workers’ cottage facade is not likely to stop you in your tracks – they’re a dime a dozen in this neighbourhood – and from the street, it looks like a single-level home.

So it’s a real treat to step inside and find a top-notch restoration of the front bedrooms and a classy and surprisingly spacious two-level extension out the back.

A veritable treasure trove of materials gives the home loads of character. There are pressed metal ceilings and feature walls and weatherboard in the original section of the house, timber and concrete tiled floors, and blackbutt stair treads on a single steel stringer.

An internal courtyard and an overhead lightwell bring natural light into the living spaces and the open-plan contemporary kitchen comes with Caesarstone benchtops in Raw Concrete, custom Portelli cabinetry in matt black and Miele and Asko appliances.

A gas strut window opens from the kitchen to the covered outdoor entertaining area, which is also home to integrated laundry facilities.

A pocket garden with access onto Hampden Street could be converted into an off-street car space with council approval.

Upstairs, the main bedroom is another highlight. The spa en suite is skylit and features floor-to-ceiling concrete tiles and a heated towel rail.

Bespoke two-tone cabinetry runs the full length of the room, providing plenty of storage and there’s a north-west facing balcony with cedar screens.

There is another small bedroom and bathroom on this level, too.

• Related: Architect creates feng shui paradise above Pittwater
• Related: How to balance head and heart when house-hunting
• Related: Five homes that showcase Sydney’s diverse market

In Woollahra Council’s art precinct and once home to the late watercolour artist Max Kreijn, the house is set in a quiet cul-de-sac adjoining Trumper Park. It’s only 400 metres to Edgecliff Station and a short walk from Five Ways cafe hub.

The lucky bidder will likely pay around $2.8 million for the cottage at its September 13 auction, through Jane Schumann of Di Jones Real Estate Eastern Suburbs.

“It’s an easy, lock-up-and-leave house in a fabulous area,” Schumann says.

“I love the surprise the home offers beyond that authentic cottage facade.”

See more of 8 Roylston Street here or download the Domain app to find more unusual homes in Sydney