A house in transition. Moorooka House is a classic 1970s brick exterior home, with a new look that stays true to the building’s evolution and grows as its family grows. Firmly believing “you can’t put lipstick on a pig,” owners Golda and Dhjango asked Maytree Studios to devise an extension that would not compete with their home’s blonde brick exterior and would work for their family now and into the future. The end result is a unique and modern house with a front extension that drastically transforms the building’s façade, creates an extended living area that connects with the outdoors and brings in the northern light.
Maytree Studio’s signature style is the use of a singular material with a strong form, and the external view of Moorooka House is a perfect example of how this technique can drastically enhance a project. Clad in recycled Australian spotted gum that has been charred, the home’s new and modern façade is not only striking, it gives the house the illusion of floating in the landscape, like the family is living among the trees. Adapted from an old Japanese technique, the wood of the façade is low-maintenance and accents the surrounding greenery, while complementing the black detailing in the home’s blonde bricks peeking through beneath.
The home’s extension houses a parent’s retreat with a master bedroom with ensuite, as well as a study, rumpus and deck overlooking the jacaranda tree in the front garden. In the existing part of the home, the kitchen and living area were moved to the rear, connecting the living spaces with the back deck, making this previously unused areas of the house the family’s regular dining area, along with the home’s large dine-in kitchen. Making the home adaptable to family life was key aspect of this project – so as the kids grow and the rumpus is no longer required, this space has the potential to become a large indoor dining zone.
Downstairs, a new entry sequence from the street was created, which leads directly up to the new living spaces. A master plan has also been designed for the remainder of the downstairs area, so a second stage of renovations can be undertaken when the time is right.
The Project
We are new parents to two children under 3. We know that our small house won’t suit our family in the near future and want to add more space and maximise the space we already have.
We want to change the layout of our house to best take advantage of our outside space as we are surrounded by lovely trees and greenery.
The budget
We have a budget of 200K all up. We would like to get as much of our wish list completed for this amount.
Rooms and Spaces
Change of Layout
• We would like two bedrooms made out of our existing open plan kitchen and living area.
• We would like the two bedrooms at the back of the house to become our kitchen and living area.
• We have an existing back deck that we would like our new kitchen/living area to open out to.
Extension to the front of the house (2 rooms)
• An extra bedroom w/ maybe an ensuite bathroom(not essential)
• A second living/T.V. room with internal stair case
• A balcony leading off the living area which provides access to the front entrance to the property.
• A garage underneath the new living room
Under the house (current garage)
• It has an existing study and bathroom
• Would like the rest of the garage to be floored/ceilinged and walled
• A space for the laundry
• Would like the existing storage crawl space to be also floored/walled etc to continue to store boxes but in a more “inside” style arrangement.
• This space will be a multiuse space bar/gym or dance space for our budding ballerina.
Opportunities for the Project
What are the BEST things about your house or site that you would like to take advantage of?
We live on a lovely street that has plenty of trees and greenery. One of the best parts of our house is our back deck that overlooks a very leafy serene backyard. Our house was newly renovated when we bought it so besides the layout changes that we want the existing rooms and bathrooms don’t need to be touched. We have a beautiful Jacaranda tree on the front boarder of our property that has to stay.
Challenges of the Project
Our house is on a sideways sloping block. We have a retaining wall down the middle of the front of our property. Drainage around the property needs to be looked at as in major rain events water seeps through to the existing garage floor.
In order to extend out the front I’m not sure the rules about how far we can go in relation to neighbours property lines etc.
Our house is an 80’s brown speckled brick creation. It isn’t my favourite look for a house but in saying that I don’t want a cover the house in render I would rather build a lovely front extension that can tie in with the existing colours. The bricks have what looks like black shiny particles in them so I think a dark wood would complement them.
Timeframes
We don’t have any key dates really that we need the renovations done by but hoping in the next year or so.
Look and feel
Describe the look and feel of the home you would like to have. Pinterest.
• Exterior of extension Modern but natural feel
- Wood cladding black (burnt or paint) horizontal formation
- Natural wood accents for window frames and balustrades
- Roof I like colorbond standing seam but open to anything
• Interior
- Kitchen living room at back of house modern bohemian style. I like colour and things don’t have to match. Open shelving in both areas with colour on kitchen cabinets.
- Would love ceiling raised in back area ideally with a skylight.
- Extension with new bedroom and living area I want relatively plain and simple ie. Plasterboard basic trims and kickboards.
• Under the house
- Again plain and simple finishes with maybe polished concrete floors
Material Used :
Facade cladding: Recycled Spotted Gum in Charred Black, Kennedy’s Timber
