SMALL WONDER

Australian House & Garden's 2024 Rising Star, architect Kitty Lee shares her thoughtfully planned family home in Sydney.

- STORY Eliza O'Hare | STYLING Tilly Roberts | PHOTOGRAPHY Nat Spada

Sometimes it's the kids in the family who make the big decisions. For architect Kitty Lee and husband Matt, their first house purchase was influenced by then four-year-old Zac and his design brief: “Mummy, can I have a bath that's stuck to the ground?”. While their shower had hosted many happy children’s bathtimes-in-a-bucket over years of apartment living, the arrival of second child Maddie, plus the pressure of running a practice from a home office for a couple of years meant they were all dreaming of space, a backyard and separate bedrooms for each of the children.

Kitty can relate. She grew up as the middle sister having to share a bedroom. But when she was 10 and her parents made the decision to renovate and add another storey, she was incredulous. “It was the most eyeopening thing. I had no idea that you could even do that - and then make it your job.” It sparked her architectural career and, years later with multiple architectural projects under her belt, it was the right time to get stuck into a house of her own.

The freestanding cottage Kitty and Matt ended up buying in Sydney’s Inner West was not quite what they were looking for. Zac’s first impression? “He said, ‘Mum, this is the worst house I have ever seen in my life!’ The house was dilapidated and the yard full of weeds as tall as him, but I asked him if he trusted me and he said ‘yes!’.”

Admirers of Kitty's work will know that she has forged a reputation as an architect who understands designing beautiful yet efficient homes and spaces for family life.

"So much of what I do is just stepping back and asking what's really necessary."