How a House With an Identity Crisis and No Flow Found Itself
Multiple renovations and additions over the years left this 1920s home in a sorry state – see how it was transformed
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Amrish Maharaj, principal at Amrish Maharaj Architect shares the journey of reworking and extending this poorly renovated Federation home alongside architect Kitty Lee at Kitty Lee Architecture, who was responsible for the interior design.
The facade before works
What was the house like originally?
A three-bedroom freestanding Federation-style brick dwelling with a tiled roof built in the 1920s. The dwelling had undergone a number of unsympathetic alterations over the years that had removed its original architectural features.
The building suffered from an uninspiring street presence with an enclosed entry porch and much of the original detail stripped away.
A curiously located internal dining room dissected the home, resulting in a confused floor plan that required access to a rear family room through the small kitchen.
An additional bedroom tacked onto the rear of the house prevented the living spaces from connecting with the relatively large rear garden.
What was the house like originally?
A three-bedroom freestanding Federation-style brick dwelling with a tiled roof built in the 1920s. The dwelling had undergone a number of unsympathetic alterations over the years that had removed its original architectural features.
The building suffered from an uninspiring street presence with an enclosed entry porch and much of the original detail stripped away.
A curiously located internal dining room dissected the home, resulting in a confused floor plan that required access to a rear family room through the small kitchen.
An additional bedroom tacked onto the rear of the house prevented the living spaces from connecting with the relatively large rear garden.
The floor plan before works
What state was it in?
The home was in poor condition, in particular the rear lean-to, which accommodated the family room, third bedroom and laundry. Spaces were not well-planned, which resulted in the house feeling quite disorganised.
How would you describe this project?
A renovation and extension.
The project involved the renovation and restoration of the existing home, and the addition of a new rear living, kitchen and dining room, bathroom, laundry/mudroom and study.
Ready to renovate? Find a local architect on Houzz to help make it happen
What state was it in?
The home was in poor condition, in particular the rear lean-to, which accommodated the family room, third bedroom and laundry. Spaces were not well-planned, which resulted in the house feeling quite disorganised.
How would you describe this project?
A renovation and extension.
The project involved the renovation and restoration of the existing home, and the addition of a new rear living, kitchen and dining room, bathroom, laundry/mudroom and study.
Ready to renovate? Find a local architect on Houzz to help make it happen
The floor plan after works
What wasn’t working for the client about the original home?
After moving back to Australia from eight years in the UK, the owners purchased the house but were not convinced that the awkward layout and dated lean-to were appropriate for their young family.
What wasn’t working for the client about the original home?
After moving back to Australia from eight years in the UK, the owners purchased the house but were not convinced that the awkward layout and dated lean-to were appropriate for their young family.
The rear before works
What did you identify as the main issues?
The confused layout.
The approach to the house was via a side path that branched off the driveway. The original entry porch had been enclosed, resulting in a strange, transient space before the main entry to the house. A detailed timber entry hallway terminated abruptly with the internal dining room.
Access to the rear of the house was via this dining room, then through a small kitchen and out through the family room.
A rear bedroom was oddly located and provided the only direct access to the laundry.
A large garage occupied the northern corner of the backyard, enclosing and overshadowing the garden.
What did you identify as the main issues?
The confused layout.
The approach to the house was via a side path that branched off the driveway. The original entry porch had been enclosed, resulting in a strange, transient space before the main entry to the house. A detailed timber entry hallway terminated abruptly with the internal dining room.
Access to the rear of the house was via this dining room, then through a small kitchen and out through the family room.
A rear bedroom was oddly located and provided the only direct access to the laundry.
A large garage occupied the northern corner of the backyard, enclosing and overshadowing the garden.
What was the client’s brief?
- Detangle and rationalise the floor plan to provide at least three bedrooms, a family bathroom and ensuite and a new living/dining/kitchen area with better connection to the rear garden.
- One of the key items for the client was a laundry/mudroom, accessed from the side path to allow a more organised lifestyle.
What were their must-haves?
- A kitchen with an island and walk-in pantry.
- A laundry/mudroom.
- A study and guest bedroom.
- Improved connection to the rear garden.
What exactly did you do?
- Restored and renovated the front of the house, including a new entry porch, tessellated tiled path, new tiled roof and front fence.
- Converted the existing bathroom into a new ensuite.
- Added a new family bathroom.
- Introduced a wide, central hallway that replicated the original timber detailing along with two new kids’ bedrooms.
- Removed the original kitchen and dining room.
- Added a new rear extension separated by a garden lightwell, housing a new kitchen/dining/living area, walk-in pantry, family bathroom, study and laundry/mudroom that can be accessed from the side path.
- The open-plan area was designed so it can be compartmentalised when needed via hidden sliding doors.
- Added a new outdoor dining area.
What was the budget?
The construction and design cost was approximately $700,000.
Where did most of it go?
On quality materials and finishes.
Some of the more expensive statement pieces, such as the kitchen island, window box and mudroom joinery, were detailed and finished to complement and elevate the simpler and more affordable elements that surrounded them.
The construction and design cost was approximately $700,000.
Where did most of it go?
On quality materials and finishes.
Some of the more expensive statement pieces, such as the kitchen island, window box and mudroom joinery, were detailed and finished to complement and elevate the simpler and more affordable elements that surrounded them.
Tell us about the eye-catching kitchen island
We knew the kitchen island needed to be a statement and Kitty Lee was instrumental in its design.
Her design centred around creating a softer form to complement and contrast the harder materials around it. This was achieved with subtle curving and tapering of the island, which was finished in a half-dowel blackbutt detail.
We knew the kitchen island needed to be a statement and Kitty Lee was instrumental in its design.
Her design centred around creating a softer form to complement and contrast the harder materials around it. This was achieved with subtle curving and tapering of the island, which was finished in a half-dowel blackbutt detail.
We love the touches of timber throughout the house – tell us about them
The design of the house was guided more by natural materials and textures than coverings and paint colours.
Timber is a great way to add warmth to the palette and create a softness against the harder surfaces like the concrete floors and painted brickworks.
The design of the house was guided more by natural materials and textures than coverings and paint colours.
Timber is a great way to add warmth to the palette and create a softness against the harder surfaces like the concrete floors and painted brickworks.
How did you achieve indoor-outdoor connection?
A large new alfresco dining area occupies the northern corner of the site and is directly connected to the living room via a large opening. The polished concrete floor extends from inside to out, creating a seamless transition between the two areas.
The large square picture window and skylights also draw the outside into the home.
A large new alfresco dining area occupies the northern corner of the site and is directly connected to the living room via a large opening. The polished concrete floor extends from inside to out, creating a seamless transition between the two areas.
The large square picture window and skylights also draw the outside into the home.
Tell us about the extra-deep window seat
When we first met with the owners, they mentioned their daughter loved to curl up with a book in the sun. Including a window seat with a garden outlook and capturing the northern light through the skylights seemed like the logical solution.
The large square window extends the new central hallway out to the garden. The deep reveal on the outside helps protect the internal space from the western sun while allowing a beautiful outlook.
When we first met with the owners, they mentioned their daughter loved to curl up with a book in the sun. Including a window seat with a garden outlook and capturing the northern light through the skylights seemed like the logical solution.
The large square window extends the new central hallway out to the garden. The deep reveal on the outside helps protect the internal space from the western sun while allowing a beautiful outlook.
What was your thinking behind the colour and materials palette?
The original part of the home was guided strictly by council’s heritage principles. We selected a palette of light materials, with a touch of colour in the tessellated tiles and front door.
The colours at the rear were deliberately chosen to contrast, yet complement, the original home.
The dark paint on the rear of the house creates a distinct juxtaposition between old and new.
The original part of the home was guided strictly by council’s heritage principles. We selected a palette of light materials, with a touch of colour in the tessellated tiles and front door.
The colours at the rear were deliberately chosen to contrast, yet complement, the original home.
The dark paint on the rear of the house creates a distinct juxtaposition between old and new.
What challenges did you face?
Being a heritage conservation area, we had a few interesting conversations with council during the assessment of the proposal, all of which were sorted out without any major amendments to the design.
The biggest challenge was early in the design process while we were working to detangle the existing floor plan and strip back the past renovations to better understand the house’s history.
Being a heritage conservation area, we had a few interesting conversations with council during the assessment of the proposal, all of which were sorted out without any major amendments to the design.
The biggest challenge was early in the design process while we were working to detangle the existing floor plan and strip back the past renovations to better understand the house’s history.
The family bathroom
Tell us about the family bathroom?
The aim was to add a pop of colour and texture to the space. The teal tiles were chosen to emphasise the bathroom’s connection to the lightwell garden.
Tell us about the family bathroom?
The aim was to add a pop of colour and texture to the space. The teal tiles were chosen to emphasise the bathroom’s connection to the lightwell garden.
How do the old and new parts of the house sit together?
There was a clear strategy to ensure the old parts of the house were restored, while allowing the new parts to be sympathetic but in clear contrast.
This started with the planning, where the original house is separated from the new addition with a lightwell garden. There is also a clear threshold between the two parts of the house where the flooring changes from a detailed herringbone timber floor to a heated polished concrete floor.
Darker tones and modern interpretations of traditional building techniques, such as the stacked brick for the living room and battened cladding for the kitchen and dining, were then chosen for the contemporary addition.
There was a clear strategy to ensure the old parts of the house were restored, while allowing the new parts to be sympathetic but in clear contrast.
This started with the planning, where the original house is separated from the new addition with a lightwell garden. There is also a clear threshold between the two parts of the house where the flooring changes from a detailed herringbone timber floor to a heated polished concrete floor.
Darker tones and modern interpretations of traditional building techniques, such as the stacked brick for the living room and battened cladding for the kitchen and dining, were then chosen for the contemporary addition.
The laundry/mudroom
What are the defining features of the house now?
Surprisingly, the owner says her favourite space is the wide entry hallway. The timber work was skilfully restored and extended by the team at Riverside Building. It was cleverly designed with hidden storage within some of the panels. The herringbone timber flooring creates interest and adds to the period detailing of the original house.
What are the defining features of the house now?
Surprisingly, the owner says her favourite space is the wide entry hallway. The timber work was skilfully restored and extended by the team at Riverside Building. It was cleverly designed with hidden storage within some of the panels. The herringbone timber flooring creates interest and adds to the period detailing of the original house.
The skylights and roof are a main feature of the house as well. The offset form was developed to maximise the home’s northern aspect through the skylights, while retaining a low shadow to the southern neighbour. The skylights flood the space with natural light and allow for a large unimpeded view to the sky.
The window box is another standout feature – it forms the end of the central hallway while extending the view to the garden.
A lightwell garden creates a physical separation between old and new, viewed both from the hallway and the main family bathroom.
The window box is another standout feature – it forms the end of the central hallway while extending the view to the garden.
A lightwell garden creates a physical separation between old and new, viewed both from the hallway and the main family bathroom.
Why do you think the house works so well?
The home has been designed to respect the original building, the site and the brief.
The planning of the home was key to create well-designed and functional spaces. The addition sympathetically draws from the original house to create a new rear living wing.
The home has been designed to respect the original building, the site and the brief.
The planning of the home was key to create well-designed and functional spaces. The addition sympathetically draws from the original house to create a new rear living wing.
The spaces are separate, yet connected, which allows them to mould to the family’s lifestyle. This will be even more important as the kids grow.
The house can be opened for daily life, then closed to separate the living and dining areas for dinner parties and to suit the kids’ activities.
Small moments – like the window seat, north-orientated skylights and the garden lightwell – combine to create a healthy and relaxing home.
The house can be opened for daily life, then closed to separate the living and dining areas for dinner parties and to suit the kids’ activities.
Small moments – like the window seat, north-orientated skylights and the garden lightwell – combine to create a healthy and relaxing home.
The ensuite
Interior materials palette
Interior materials palette
- Woodcut White Smoked engineered timber herringbone floor in the hallway.
- Burnished concrete-slab floor to the new addition.
- Teranova Tiles matt penny-round teal tiles to the family bathroom wall.
- Two-pack polyurethane joinery finished in Dulux Natural White to the kitchen.
- CDK Stone honed Elba marble to kitchen island benchtop.
- Porta half-round dowels in Tasmanian oak.
- WK Quantum Quartz in White Swirl to the rear benchtops.
- Gunnersen DesignerPly in Birch Limewash to the laundry/mudroom.
Fixtures and fittings
- Parisi Isola bath.
- Mizu gooseneck kitchen mixer tap in brushed nickel.
- Dulux Winter Terrace to the walls of the hallway, original living area and bedrooms two and three.
- Dulux Natural White to all the new internal walls.
- Dulux Grey Master to the exterior.
Your turn
Which aspect of this renovation impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another great addition and renovation? Check out this story: A Postwar Red-Brick Home Opens Up and Extends to the Sun
Which aspect of this renovation impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another great addition and renovation? Check out this story: A Postwar Red-Brick Home Opens Up and Extends to the Sun
Answers by Amrish Maharaj, principal at Amrish Maharaj Architect
Who lives here: A couple with two school-age children
Location: Ashbury, NSW
Bedrooms and bathrooms before works: Three bedrooms, one bathroom and one toilet in the laundry
Bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Three bedrooms with a separate lounge that can be converted into a guest bedroom, one family bathroom and one ensuite
Size of the house before works: 125 square metres
Size of the house after works: 185 square metres
Budget: Around $700,000 for the construction and design (excluding fittings and fixtures)
Architecture: Amrish Maharaj Architect
Interior design: Kitty Lee Architecture, which specified the fixtures, finishes and interior colours
Builder: Riverside Building