Inside the 'nest': Behind the doors of this 'tiny' heritage cottage hides an incredible award-winning luxury home and a surprisingly spacious layout

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A modest heritage cottage with an ornate façade hides behind it an stunningly contemporary home with an award-winning design. 

The magnificent renovated home, which lies in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Carlton North just four kilometres from the CBD, has been shortlisted for a bunch of prestigious national and state awards and it's not hard to see why.

Dubbed Il Nido, which translates to 'nest' in Italian, the old-meets-new pad marries period style with modern architecture through the restoration of the 1885-built cottage which was transformed with a state-of-the-art extension.

A contrastingly contemporary home with an award-winning design lies behind the quaint façade of an ornate Victorian cottage

The magnificent renovated home lies in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Carlton North just four kilometres from the CBD and has been shortlisted for a bunch of prestigious national and state awards

The house is positioned on a corner block allowing passers-by a glimpse of the modern addition with its angular lines, rustic brick walls, ceiling height windows and fan mosaic tiling 

Despite its tight size, the 108sqm property has been called home by a family of six and manages to feel spacious housing three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living rooms, a modern kitchen and rooftop terrace over three levels

The house is positioned on a corner block allowing passers-by a glimpse of the modern addition with its angular lines, rustic brick walls, ceiling height windows and fan mosaic tiling.

Despite its tight size, the 108sqm property has been called home by a family of six and manages to feel spacious housing three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living rooms, a modern kitchen and rooftop terrace over three levels.

At just 4.9metres wide and 22 metres long the compact family home has a small but spectacular interior courtyard that opens into the light-filled living room through glass bi-folding doors creating a sense of space.

Inside, sky-high angled ceilings add a sense of grandeur to the sophisticated kitchen which has stone benchtops, timber cabinetry, built-in banquet seating and tiled table to match a feature wall

A spectacular courtyard opens into the light-filled living room through glass bi-folding doors creating a sense of space while a blue-tiled bathroom featuring an Italian-imported bathtub hides behind a curved timber wall

The ground floor also contain a luxurious main bedroom with an original fireplace, a green ensuite and stretching walk-in closet

The courtyard sits between the kitchen and main living rooms and features chic textures of brick complimented by green fish-scale tiles as well as a servery window that looks into the kitchen. 

Inside, sky-high angled ceilings add a sense of grandeur to the sophisticated kitchen which has stone benchtops, timber cabinetry, built-in banquet seating and tiled table to match a feature wall. 

A curved timber wall hides a sliding door that pulls back to reveal a lavish bathroom with almost every surface adorned with blue Japanese finger tiles and a unique sunken Italian-important bathtub. 

The ground floor also contain a luxurious main bedroom with an original fireplace, a green ensuite and stretching walk-in closet. 

Hidden down below the home is a cosy subterranean lounge room with exposed brick walls and an arched timber panelled ceiling

An exposed wooden staircase leads up to the first floor where there is a bathroom with narrow green shower illuminated by a skylight as well as a rooftop terrace with city skyline views

Upstairs there is also two kids bedrooms one of which features built-in bunkbeds

Il Nido was among the nominees at the Dulux Colour Awards as well as the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards and is now in the running to win People's Choice and best residential rebirth project at the international Dezeen Awards next month

An exposed wooden staircase leads up to the first floor where there are two more bedrooms, one of which has built-in bunk beds, a bathroom with narrow green shower illuminated by a skylight as well as a rooftop terrace with city skyline views. 

Hidden down below the home is a cosy subterranean lounge room with exposed brick walls and an arched timber panelled ceiling. 

Il Nido was among the nominees at the Dulux Colour Awards as well as the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards and is now in the running to win People's Choice and best residential rebirth project at the international Dezeen Awards next month. 

It has hit the market and will sell at an auction this weekend with a price guide of $2.1million-$2.3million, half a million more than the suburb median sale price.