Modern family kitchen in house extension offers sightlines to indoor and outdoor areas

Whether heard or not, young children should always be seen and sightlines from the family kitchen out to the adjacent indoor and outdoor spaces were central to this home extension.

As well as the kitchen, the light-filled add-on includes a new living space, dining area, and adjacent courtyard, says architect Clinton Cole.

"Situated next to the kitchen, the living volume can open up to the sheltered, semi-grassed courtyard alongside via a giant operable louvred glass wall adding to the sense of openness by visually borrowing space from the outdoor area," says Cole.

"A similar louvred wall slides across the outer ends of both the courtyard and the living area. These open connections and louvred glass walls naturally provide sightlines throughout the extension, a must for the diligent parents."

The understated white kitchen is designed to integrate quietly into the wider space, letting other dramatic material surfaces such as the recycled ruby red brick, cedar ceiling and tongue and groove floor lead the eye. However, the broad mirror splashback offers yet another way to keep an eye on young children's hijinks.

Storage is naturally a priority with a family kitchen and there are extra deep drawers on the island and wall-height perimeter cabinetry. A fold-up cabinet front to the right of the outer countertop accesses a handy appliance garage.

While the absence of windows here screens the kitchen from a close neighbour, a skylight running the length of the addition on this side provides ample task lighting.

Cole's choice of materials in the kitchen furthers the indoor-outdoor connection too. The cedar baton ceiling echoes the louvre elements while the Blackbutt tongue and groove floor connects with the pergola over the courtyard.