Walnut and weatherboards

Designed by Jack Fugaro

From the architect:

This project celebrates modern family life while preserving the existing 1950s weatherboard home's charm with a nod to its modernist era. 

A reimagined kitchen and alfresco space integrates a new private retreat for a teenage daughter, providing seclusion yet intentionally programmed to connect with the main living and outdoor spaces.

The core ideas and framework were to celebrate modern family life while preserving the existing 1950s weatherboard charm. 

Both internal and external kitchens were treated as a single core idea, although separated between indoors and out – a servery window between the two kitchen spaces achieves this idea of connection while still retaining separation between the two.

The joinery material palette of deep walnut oak tones and soft radius edge detailing is a nostalgic nod to the home's modernist mid-century era.

Being the heart of the home, the kitchens had to serve not only as the family kitchen but also extend to the outdoors for larger entertaining events and gatherings.

Another key feature was integrating the external materials of clay brick and weatherboard into the kitchens – to achieve this, curved brickwork detail hugs the outdoor kitchen and splashback, while this radius detail follows through into the enclosed indoor kitchen joinery and stone detail.

The design also maintains the typical modest, detached and secluded home rhythm at street level and in private backyards that the neighbourhood provides by steering away from new bold additions to the built form and fabric. 

Key existing built elements and materials were retained such as the rear kitchen-living weatherboard cladding, windows and vaulted ceiling elements. 

Handcrafted clay bricks with corbelling detail to the new addition and planters add interest and contrast to the existing weatherboard home.

The approach to retain the existing home's inviting lived in charm and warmth allowed for the existing building's envelope to be unaltered with minimal impact to the greater public interface.

Injecting new life and surprise to the main living and new outdoors spaces with a nod to the home's modernist era strengthens the connection between old and new.

With the build being of minimal size and impact to the existing home, the focus was on adding greater living and health environment to the main living, outdoor and new retreat areas. 

Upgraded wall and ceiling insulation, hand openable and operated windows with a lighter material palette allowed for greater envelope insulation and naturally light filled/ventilated spaces. 

The design's choice of reusable and sustainable materials such as natural timber, clay bricks, concrete and steel benefit the project's overall lifecycle and endurance.

The redesigned indoor kitchen, outdoor kitchen and deck have become the heart of the home, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor spaces for family time and entertaining. 

Easy access to the back garden has improved and integrated the entire area, while the private extension gives the owners' teenage daughter the perfect space to study, play music, and socialise while staying connected to family areas. 

All of this has been achieved while preserving the heritage and family warmth that make the house feel like home.

Story by: Trendsideas