A Victorian facade belies the modern interior of this Sydney property, set to be auctioned on 18 March.

The terraced house – with a guide price of AU$6.5m – sits within the Paddington neighbourhood. Local practice MCK retained the facade but overhauled the property for Tom Williams, the owner of Sydney creative agency Juicy, turning it into light-filled, five-bedroom home.

Its interior and rear elevation were completely renovated over a two-year period, at a cost of AU$2.3 million. MCK – who completed the project in mid-2016 – focused on improving the flow of the living areas and introducing plenty of natural light into the building.

After the local council’s refused to grant permission for a fully glazed rear facade, the architects proposed installing a two-storey Corten-steel screen concealing a glass-roofed void that funnels light into the main living area and mezzanine study.

Glazed doors line the living room, opening onto a decked terrace containing a large gum tree and a plunge pool. At the far end of the terrace is a granny flat housed in a pitched-roof timber structure above a garage.

An existing breezeway along one side of the property was glazed over to introduce an additional light well that is overlooked by windows on every level.

Traces of the building’s past remain evident in the exposed brick walls and the ornate ironwork of the main facade, but this is now a home attuned to the needs of 21st century living.

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