Lovely modern houses sometimes come with ample room, but among the early builds, many were extremely modest or even basic. Room sizes were tight, and many were designed to fit with the carpet available. For example, Axminster carpet was in use before Broadloom. You’ll find Axminster in Harry Seidler’s Rose Seidler House. We were told by one of the guides many years ago that Historic Houses Trust still needs to have that carpet specially made! A “Broadloom metre” refers to the standard width of carpet rolls: 3.66 metres and many carpet professionals have declared this house “really well designed” because Ken Woolley must have known how to ensure the room could be laid with one piece of carpet and no joins. As a result, many P&S homes bedrooms with the highly economic 3.66 measurement. And some of the smaller bedrooms are only that wide!

As a compact 115sqm house originally – we had no distinct living spaces. What started as an adequate 3 bedroom house with a “luxurious” en-suite (900mm wide) was eventually impossible to live in with when kids became teenagers, and family entertaining was more important.

The floor plan now reflects 5 bedrooms, with built ins. A separate family, living and kitchen space. And large outdoor deck from which each lower bedroom has its own access. And a pool, among other fun elements.

Our native garden has been rejuvenated in keeping with the area the original landscape architect Bruce McKenzie’s original designs for P&S gardens back in the day. Rocks for lizards, flowers for colour, native trees and grasses.

What I love the most (and what is an accidental discovery from the new areas) are the beautiful patterns and shadows cast by sunrises and sunsets, the vistas from absolutely every room, and connections to shapes, colours and textures in nature.

This also happens in the original part of the house through the windows which are now all full height.