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A pristine heritage frontage and roofline give no hint as to the spectacular changes delivered at the rear of this modern lifestyle renovation

Designed by Linda Simons, LSA Architects

From the architects:

Design brief

This listed heritage property is located in a popular area of metropolitan Melbourne.

The owners love the location and the period details of the house, but the amenity was sadly lacking and, for a family of five, the spaces were tired and very dated. The laundry was in a hall cupboard!

The challenge was that the existing roofscape had to remain intact due to the heritage regulations, so we had to support the upper level and demolish and rebuild beneath it.

This was a real challenge, and the skill of the builder cannot be underestimated.

The new layout cleared away all the small rooms at the rear of the house and we developed a large, open-plan living area with floor-to-ceiling windows.

This floods the back of the house with light and space.


The backyard is also small and rather than have it as a small strip of land around the house we extended the white polished concrete from the rear living space outside and around the pool.

This ties the inside and outside together and makes both spaces look bigger.

Landscaping is carefully placed around the perimeter and the garden feel is enhanced by a custom mosaic tile boundary wall treatment, by Graffico.

This gives a vibrant green backdrop to all the views out of the spaces.

To further connect the spaces, we deliberately broke down boundaries; for example, we installed a floating fireplace with glass panels to inside and out.

You can then experience the fire from the spa and the living room.

Strong ribbons of tiles also organise the pool spa and terrace spaces. These are aligned with the structural columns and continue out to the rear, extending your view of the space.

The master bedroom, nestled to the side of the house, is relatively narrow but using large windows off the master ensuite and also either side of the second outdoor fireplace the room has a feel of lightness and space – creating a quiet sanctuary.

The existing house was enhanced with oak floorboards and period detailing with a touch of fun – such as the cellar under the staircase.

All this was teamed with solar panels to the roof, rain gardens, rainwater tanks, under slab heating and passive solar design to give a very efficient and self-sustaining house.

Credit list

Renovating architect
Kitchen designer
Linda Simons, LSA Architects
Pool designer
Project Build
Roofing
Lysaght Klip-lok Classic 700 and terracotta tiles
Benchtops and splashback
Dekton
Oven, cooktop
VZug
Refrigeration
Liebherr
Flooring
Polished exposed aggregate concrete, white
Bathroom tiles
Dolomite Silver Galaxy stone tile, by Attilas
General heating
Hydronic underslab and panel heating, by Nissl Eichert Heating
Feature light fittings
Lucretia
Awards
Trends International Design Awards (TIDA) Homes – Highly Commended
Builder
Project Build
Landscape designer
LSA Architects/Project Build
Cladding
Urbanline Euro Selekta
Kitchen cabinetry
2 pac
Kitchen sink
Abey Shock
Ventilation
Falmec
Dishwasher
Fisher & Paykel
Bedroom flooring
Elmview Neptune carpet by Victoria Carpet
Paint
Resene
Fireplaces
1500 Pure Vision with glass back, by Real Flame
Living area furniture
King Living

Designed by: LSA Architects

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Michael Downes, UA Creative

23 May, 2021

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