Terrace House Mirage

Terrace House Mirage is a luminous reawakening of a 150-year-old Victorian terrace in inner Sydney; a layered, emotionally resonant home designed for a young creative couple with a love for hosting and meaningful detail.

Blurring the line between heritage and contemporary living, the house feels expansive and calm, despite its compact footprint. At its heart, a fully openable courtyard dissolves the boundary between indoors and outdoors, offering a rare experience of outdoor living within a terrace house. Light, air, and greenery flood into the centre of the home, transforming everyday routines into rituals of joy.

Mirrored surfaces amplify space and light. An invisible induction cooktop transforms the kitchen into a social hub. Sliding walls allow rooms to flex between intimate and open. Every element is designed not just to function, but to inspire.

Personal details drawn from the clients’ cultural roots are subtly embedded into the design, creating a home that feels both grounded and quietly individual. Durable, tactile materials, many repurposed, contribute to a sustainable, low-waste approach while maintaining a refined aesthetic and create a sense of coherence and calm.

Rather than adding more, Terrace House Mirage adds meaning. Designed by Alcami Architecture, it shows how even the most modest houses can offer extraordinary living through clarity, adaptability, and poetic precision. For those who believe space is not about the amount of square meters, but about experience, this project is a glimpse of what’s possible.

Awards:
2024 Alterations and Additions Award NSW by Australian Institute of Architects
2024 Best Single Residential Project in Australia by Interior Design Excellence Australia (IDEA)
2024 Shortlisted for Best Colour by Interior Design Excellence Australia (IDEA)
2024-2025 House of the Year, Best Interior, by Grand Designs Australia
2024 Shortlisted House of the Year by Habitus Living
2024 Excellence in Design Residential Finalist Polytec Design Awards
2025 Shortlisted Residential Design by Australian Interior Design Awards