04/10/2026
It was an absolute privilege to be entrusted with the sanding, polishing and restoration of the original floorboards inside “GUNYAH”, the historic worker’s cottage from the Thomas Holt Estate in Sylvania, New South Wales.
Built around 1870, GUNYAH is believed to be the last remaining building from the historic Thomas Holt Estate and is one of the oldest surviving houses in the Sutherland Shire. To have the opportunity to work on a floor that has been part of this remarkable building’s history for more than 150 years was both an honour and a privilege.
My role was to carefully restore the original timber flooring while respecting the character, age and history of the building. Every stage of the process was carried out with great care to bring these beautiful old floorboards back to life while retaining their authentic heritage character.
A special mention must go to Freshbuilt Constructions, one of the Sutherland Shire’s elite building companies, who undertook the complete restoration of GUNYAH from top to bottom. Their workmanship and attention to detail throughout this project were exceptional.
Freshbuilt Constructions can also take credit for the impressive black gap filling throughout the original floorboards using Sika 11FC. The dark gap filling has created a striking contrast against the timber and has really made this 150-plus-year-old floor come alive, highlighting the character and craftsmanship of the original boards.
For the final finish, LOBA DUO water-based floor finish was selected to provide a beautiful, durable and contemporary protective coating while allowing the natural character of this historic timber to remain on display. Brett @ Loba Australasia LOBA On Top !
I’m extremely grateful to have been part of such a special heritage restoration. Projects like GUNYAH are a reminder of why I love what I do — restoring beautiful original timber floors and helping preserve a small piece of our history for future generations.
Thank you to Freshbuilt Constructions for trusting me with the restoration of these historic floors. It was a genuine honour to be involved.
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Freshbuilt Constructions
Sydney Floor Sander
ATFA