It was a classic case of ‘right time, right place’ when Simon Barrow, of Barrow Build, came across a derelict and small brick property in Camperdown, Sydney.

The owner-builder had been looking for an opportunity to channel his three decades of experience into a personal project for some time, and the single-level red brick home with ‘holes in the ceiling and peeling paint’ presented the perfect canvas.

As the small home was nearly ‘unliveable’, Simon decided to start from the ground up. With the help of architectural designer Jose Serraro from Serraro Design Studio, and interior designer Dimity Chitty of Studio Aquilo, Simon totally transformed the property into a three-storey terrace home, filled with warm, welcoming textures and tones.

‘In line with our vision to keep it pared back, we looked to a natural and textured palette that would give it a sense of character,’ he explains. And, wide oak flooring, silver travertine and a custom face brick in the living room all work to do just that.

Simon says he also wanted to incorporate ‘surprises and experiences within a terrace you wouldn’t necessarily expect’, by maximising the openness and visual connectivity throughout the house with a central light well and a dramatic three-level stair void.

‘Many inner-west homes tend to be quite narrow in nature, so it made a lot of sense for us to use height controls and the potential for roof space to reclaim some of this,’ he says of the 9.5 metre-high build.

Simon has thoroughly enjoyed working on transforming this once-derelict property, into three-storey family home that prioritises liveability and comfort, but he has decided it’s now time for someone else to enjoy its little luxuries!

26 Eton Street, Camperdown, is listed for sale with Luke Grosvenor and Chris Nunn from Bresic Whitney and goes to auction at 3.45pm, Saturday 19 August.