Last year we were relieved when the world officially kissed goodbye the trend of building McMansions. In 2016, many architects and designers came out of the woodwork to talk about how small can be beautiful. There was a proliferation of coffee table books focusing on small homes and people finally started to let go of the Great Australian Dream of the long driveway, garden shed and backyard.

Megan Burns at CM studio did a teeny, tiny renovation of a home in Paddington with furniture by Living Edge. Architect Nick Harding was celebrated for a small-scale reno in Northcote, Victoria. Heck, there was even a Netflix series called Small is Beautiful.

Still, it wasn’t just a ‘trend for tiny’ along the trailer trash or apartment lines. No. Even at the very high-end, little outhouses of minute proportions gained credence as Zen dwellings.  Architecturally designed structures on larger blocks in London were metaphysically ‘roped off’ and dedicated to creative tasks, digital detox, meditation and yoga. The trend for small also become synonymous with conscious, instead of conspicuous, consumption.

39 Holdsworth Street, Woollahra: the undeniable appeal of this stylish, freestanding home is made utterly irresistible by the lifestyle it offers in the fashionable heart of Woollahra village. With four bedrooms and three bathrooms, the minuscule 1880’s exterior belies its classic, contemporary charm.

In Sydney, historic workers cottages straddle small format and backyard bliss. These smaller homes built in the 1880’s are also rapidly being converted to modern homes in Paddington, Balmain and Gladesville. They offer single floor living and large open plan dining spaces that flow into outdoor zones.

What resonates with homeowners is that while small homes might offer them less space, they can offer greater freedom and better lifestyle options.

15 Madeline Street, Hunters Hill: with it’s sandstone cottage ambience retained, this three bedroom, two bathroom home has undergone sophisticated updates with modern touches. Tied together with plenty of outdoor space, it’s set for a modern family.

To discuss the merits of making modern homes from Sydney’s plethora of tiny cottages, we chatted with DIY renovator Holly Oarsman Smith in Rozelle. Holly made a painstaking renovation of a humble cottage with her husband Alistair Smith. Their run down 1865 cottage is now a fantastic, modern family home.

“The house was in very poor condition when we moved in,” says Alistair. “We had leaking roofs, style add-ons and the home had never been painted. There was also bad drainage and a slug problem to deal with!”

“I then undertook the cleaning and repointing of the stone work. It was a labour of love, which took up many weekends of my time. The bathroom and kitchen were outside for a while which was interesting. Just ask the wife!” remembers Alistair.

42 Foucart Street, Rozelle: this home project was just the right challenge for an inner-west business minded couple. Holly is the GM for a high end catering company in the city and Alistair is a construction manager for a landscaping firm. The main build took them 12 months with a toddler and two full-time jobs.

Despite the tribulations, it was a necessary quest says Holly, to accommodate their food focused lifestyle. “We have busy and complicated lives, we are in the service industry, it is very complex,” Holly explains. “Coming home to a very nice place with white walls is something that just both inspires both of us,” she says.

The kitchen, says Holly, is key to understanding how they now live, because Alistair was a chef for 25 years. “When you bring people into your home to break bread, it’s very important they’re able to see you and share in what you are doing,” she says. The same theory, she says works on their two children.

“They sit up on the bench and they watch when we cook. It is such a wonderfully shared space between our whole family,” Holly says.

12 Church Street, Balmain: with a wide layout, this freestanding four bedroom character cottage seamless blends in and outdoor extensions. A classic double-fronted design, has become a modern family entertainer off Darling Street.

While the home looks tiny from the front, the back of the home is open plan with a very well appointed stainless steel kitchen.  The eclectic entertainer doesn’t take its inspiration from any one period, or architect, it is rather a patchwork of the owner’s tastes and exposure to a life of travel.

2 Eltham Street, Gladesville: from true cottage character and street appeal to a timber-screened alfresco space – 2 Eltham builds a bridge between open-plan living and private gardens. With three bedrooms and one bathroom it boasts mod cons with period appeal.