Outside The Square
Several things needed to be considered when Hille’s Home Extensions took on this featured project. The double fronted Victorian home is in an area dominated by Victorian-era design, and it was important to be sympathetic to the existing properties in the street. The addition to the house is not visible from the road and the design is clean, light and warm to further maintain the area’s trend.
Before
Ground Floor - two bedrooms, dining, kitchen/ meals, living, bathroom, laundry and garage.
After
Ground Floor - master bedroom with built-in robe and ensuite, single bedroom, open plan kitchen/meals/family, pantry, dining, living room, bathroom, laundry and deck.
First Floor – Studio.
The homeowner wanted to connect the existing rear garage to the house, create a new space above the garage and remodel the rear of the house for a more open living area. An adjoining wall was removed between the main bedroom and a bathroom to create an ensuite, while back-to-back robes in another two bedrooms were joined to create more space in the main bedroom.
A remodelling of the home’s rear section - an extension from many years ago - was necessary. The kitchen was the only new ground floor space and was used to connect the home to the rear garage and the new upper floor studio above the garage.
Visitors now enter at the Victorian façade, walk through the classic original rooms and end up in the modern, open spaces of the new areas of the rear of the home - a journey from the old to the new. The Hille’s Home Extensions designer ensured the extension worked cleverly with the existing space as opposed to simply adding extra rooms to the home.
Concentrating on creatively using the space, clever storage opportunities were applied and kitchen and bathroom cabinets were carefully selected to create an illusion of space. A council overlooking clause required creative use of materials for the studio balcony. The homeowner commissioned artist Carolyn Eskdale to create the laser cut rusted steel visual break on the balcony, which provides a spectacular focal point from the deck area and inside the studio. The homeowner installed water tanks as a component of the plunge pool system. Ample natural lighting, extensive use of ventilation, full insulation and double- glazing on windows all help create a home that relies on fewer resources for heating and cooling.
Downlights have been installed, while Scyon Axon exterior cladding and a Tallowwood staircase have also been incorporated into the home. The timber fencing has a trellis for vines to grow up and landscaping includes Merbau decking, the feature spa plunge pool, native flowers and the rustic art deco balcony.
Images courtesy of Melbourne Home Design + Living
homedesignandliving.com.au
