A light-filled contemporary addition to a 1920's home provides better connection to the garden, new pool and landscaping as well as a modern open-plan kitchen, living and entertaining areas. This project is all about making the most of the attributes of the existing home and garden and uniting the new additions with the original home with a seamless and contemporary design.

What was the brief?

This project is an addition to a family home to provide a modern outdoor entertaining area, pool, separate casual sitting room/teenage retreat and new open plan kitchen and dining room at the back of the existing two storey home. The original federation part of the house has wonderful formal living rooms, with wrap around verandahs but still had a lean-to kitchen and larder at the back. The garden was inaccessible from the main living areas of the house and was also crying out for a make-over. Our clients needed additional space for entertaining and more functional living areas to provide storage and cater to changing needs as their three children get older.

What were the key challenges?

To design an addition that linked the existing house with the new garden pavilion, pool and landscaping that compliments the features of the original home.
The new extension is modern and stream-lined so it is not visible from the street. The landscape design unifies the additions and pool with the existing garden as well as providing the original home with a more formal setting at the front. The new kitchen and dining area opens onto the original wrap-around verandah and large picture windows frame views to the magnificent magnolia tree to the east.

What were the solutions?

The solution was to add a modern steel and glass pavilion linked to the outdoor pool at garden level and the kitchen and outdoor entertaining area at the rear of the house. The additions are unified by the use of detailed brickwork and flat roofs designed to be subservient to the original house. A new brick screen wall hides the open car-port and creates an outdoor room facing the pool and garden. The operable roof over the BBQ and dining area enables this space to be used all year round and in all weather. A wide set of brick stairs links the pool and garden to the main house, softened by garden beds and screen planting that helps to reinforce the geometry of the pool and garden pavilion.