Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: From Scruffy to Scandi in a Home Away From Home
An international family went back to the future when their 1980s kit home got a sophisticated makeover
An ordinary suburban house on a quiet street in Carine, WA, underwent an extraordinary revitalisation in 2013, and in the process became home to an Australian-German couple who had recently moved from Europe to WA. Simon Pendal and Stephen Neille of Pendal and Neille Architects oversaw the property’s extensive renovation, which left the fabric of the house virtually untouched, yet completely transformed the interior. The pair worked closely with their clients in order to create a scheme that reflected the couple’s love of Scandinavian design and integrated their extensive collection of furniture and art.
The house was only extended by 9 square metres, and a single wall was moved out slightly to give the small secondary bedrooms a bit more breathing space. “Even so, the finished result is an entirely different house to the one we started with,” Pendal says.
In a way that reflects the measured serenity of the interiors, this is a renovation that was conducted in a thoughtful and strategic manner from the outset. The client’s mother gave the team the key to their overall design thinking. “She put it beautifully one day when she said, ‘So much space, but no good space,’” says Pendal. “That’s when we knew that what the house needed wasn’t to be extended, but to be reconfigured so that it opened up into the existing space.”
In a way that reflects the measured serenity of the interiors, this is a renovation that was conducted in a thoughtful and strategic manner from the outset. The client’s mother gave the team the key to their overall design thinking. “She put it beautifully one day when she said, ‘So much space, but no good space,’” says Pendal. “That’s when we knew that what the house needed wasn’t to be extended, but to be reconfigured so that it opened up into the existing space.”
“We agreed we’d just freshen the facade with paint, work within the basic envelope, and focus the budget on where it could have the greatest effect,” says Pendal. “It was a conscious decision to put all the time, effort, detail and budget into the spaces in which the family would spend the most time.”
It isn’t always easy to explain just how dramatically a planned renovation will change a house when there is little obvious structural work taking place. “When the client took the drawings to the bank, they couldn’t understand what the proposal was.” says Pendal. “It was all about the right trade-off.
“We stayed within existing window openings because of the expense of making changes to the underlying structure, for example, but we replaced every window and every door which had a huge visual impact but doesn’t look like much on a plan.”
It isn’t always easy to explain just how dramatically a planned renovation will change a house when there is little obvious structural work taking place. “When the client took the drawings to the bank, they couldn’t understand what the proposal was.” says Pendal. “It was all about the right trade-off.
“We stayed within existing window openings because of the expense of making changes to the underlying structure, for example, but we replaced every window and every door which had a huge visual impact but doesn’t look like much on a plan.”
The renovation focused on three main aspects: the flow of the house, the materials used and adding drama to the narrative of the house. Features, such as the alcove in the living room, were carved out of existing elements of the house, and give the new version much of its visual focus.
“The alcove is a central feature of that space,” says Pendal. “It was a passage, probably to the garage, and there was a remnant of wall jutting out into the room. We replaced the stub of bearing wall with slender steel columns and made the space over from something awkward to the primary focus of the room.”
“The alcove is a central feature of that space,” says Pendal. “It was a passage, probably to the garage, and there was a remnant of wall jutting out into the room. We replaced the stub of bearing wall with slender steel columns and made the space over from something awkward to the primary focus of the room.”
The living room windows were replaced with French doors on one side, and the floor directly in front of the doors was stained black. In addition, the remnant wall was replaced with a trio of slender steel columns, and sheer bronze curtains temper the light that floods into the open space.
There were revelations, as well as issues, that came with working on a 1980s project built house. “One thing that people thought would be an issue and just wasn’t is the ceiling height, which is only 2.5m,” says Pendal.
There were revelations, as well as issues, that came with working on a 1980s project built house. “One thing that people thought would be an issue and just wasn’t is the ceiling height, which is only 2.5m,” says Pendal.
The solution was simple. “We struck a horizon running level with the top of the window frames. Everything above it would just be painted out white, and below would be the plywood walls,” says Pendal.
Thanks to the simple conceit of the horizon, plus the colours, materials and layout, there’s no sense of the ceilings feeling low, in fact, the house has an airy feel. “In the end, we even recommended that the client drop the ceilings down to 2.1 metres just for the alcove, which works beautifully. It feels cosy, not oppressive,” says Pendal.
Thanks to the simple conceit of the horizon, plus the colours, materials and layout, there’s no sense of the ceilings feeling low, in fact, the house has an airy feel. “In the end, we even recommended that the client drop the ceilings down to 2.1 metres just for the alcove, which works beautifully. It feels cosy, not oppressive,” says Pendal.
The plywood cladding on the walls is one of the strongest thematic features, creating a kind of frame or box for the family’s existing collection of Scandi-style furniture and art. It has been given a light lime wash and then finished with a clear liming solution, which ensures the wood stays very blond rather than yellowing over time.
“One point of consensus with the client from the beginning was around the kind of materials we used,” says Pendal. “There was no disagreement at all on what needed to go, and what should be used instead.”
“One point of consensus with the client from the beginning was around the kind of materials we used,” says Pendal. “There was no disagreement at all on what needed to go, and what should be used instead.”
Part of the brief was to be across environmental concerns. The belief that drove the clients to renovate rather than knock-down and rebuild also informed the design and the way in which the work was performed.
“It doesn’t look like an ‘eco’ house, but it is environmentally conscious,” the architect explains, “from choices about materials to installing new windows that can be locked in position, to provide optimum cross-ventilation and reduce the need for cooling.”
The use of the steel columns (below) to replace load-bearing walls that needed to be removed as an alternative to rebuilding entire sections of the house is another example of the eco consciousness.
“It doesn’t look like an ‘eco’ house, but it is environmentally conscious,” the architect explains, “from choices about materials to installing new windows that can be locked in position, to provide optimum cross-ventilation and reduce the need for cooling.”
The use of the steel columns (below) to replace load-bearing walls that needed to be removed as an alternative to rebuilding entire sections of the house is another example of the eco consciousness.
But the most important concern for the design was that the house needed to be responsive to the family who would live in it; it needed to reflect their personality and support their way of life. “They’re quite sporty people, and they’re all very intelligent, including the kids,” says Pendal. “They read a lot, and also needed to accommodate the biggest television you’ve ever seen, so the space needed to respond to all of that.”
Above all, the family love to have guests over, and the house was designed around that. “The whole family loves to entertain,” says Pendal. “They are incredibly social. It’s a life that’s big and expansive and inclusive, and that’s what the house needed to be as well.”
Above all, the family love to have guests over, and the house was designed around that. “The whole family loves to entertain,” says Pendal. “They are incredibly social. It’s a life that’s big and expansive and inclusive, and that’s what the house needed to be as well.”
The kitchen is perfect for cooking, entertaining and just hanging out. “We removed a brick pantry that divided the kitchen from the dining area and replaced it with a set of slender steel columns like the ones in the alcove,” says Pendal.
The bench is an enormous slab of granite that almost looks like slate, the cabinets are grey gloss laminate and the back wall is actually a blackboard. The architects’ team even wrapped the wall with a metal sheet before it was coated with blackboard paint, so that it’s also magnetic.
The bench is an enormous slab of granite that almost looks like slate, the cabinets are grey gloss laminate and the back wall is actually a blackboard. The architects’ team even wrapped the wall with a metal sheet before it was coated with blackboard paint, so that it’s also magnetic.
Changing the flooring throughout the house was an easy decision, as the clients were eager to replace the original rough black slate floors. The team replaced the slate with blackbutt timber boards, which now run through much of the house, including the living areas and the main bedroom.
In most of the rooms the floor has been white washed, but in the alcove and corridor a black stain was applied. To add further interest, the same black stain was applied in the kitchen before being quickly wiped away, creating a third effect. The floors are also laid with the timber running in different directions depending on the room. This contributes to the sense of harmony and flow, while the details create boundaries and transitions within that space.
In most of the rooms the floor has been white washed, but in the alcove and corridor a black stain was applied. To add further interest, the same black stain was applied in the kitchen before being quickly wiped away, creating a third effect. The floors are also laid with the timber running in different directions depending on the room. This contributes to the sense of harmony and flow, while the details create boundaries and transitions within that space.
Tackling the layout of the rooms and the flow of the house entailed a minor amount of structural work. “In the original layout the front door opened directly opposite the main bedroom door, so when you entered the house, you were looking straight into it,” says Pendal.
The solution was to shift the bedroom door down the corridor, so you now enter through the walk in wardrobe, creating a kind of anteroom and giving the bedroom a deeper aspect and sense of privacy. It also adds to the sense of mystery built into the scheme. “Now it’s an interior that unravels, through vistas and unexpected reveals,” says Pendal.
The solution was to shift the bedroom door down the corridor, so you now enter through the walk in wardrobe, creating a kind of anteroom and giving the bedroom a deeper aspect and sense of privacy. It also adds to the sense of mystery built into the scheme. “Now it’s an interior that unravels, through vistas and unexpected reveals,” says Pendal.
It was also important that the final design create a house that was practical and functional as well as beautiful. “It’s not an art gallery it’s a home,” says Pendal. “These are warm, welcoming and aesthetic people and the house needed to reflect that visually.”
The plans also needed to accommodate the fact that one set of grandparents live in Germany and stay with the family when they visit, spending 4-5 months of each year living in the house. This meant not only making sure there were enough bedrooms to go around, but that the living space was opened up in a way that provided both space and the promise of seclusion, even with a full house.
It also needed to be hard-wearing and forgiving of the inevitable impact of active little boys, so all of the fixtures were chosen with this in mind. The kitchen is hard wearing as well as attractive, and the bathrooms are modestly sized, with beige hexagonal mosaics on the floor, gloss white tiles on the walls and quality fittings. A light wool carpet was laid in both of the children’s rooms and the grandparents’ section of the house, to add warmth and soften the spaces.
The plans also needed to accommodate the fact that one set of grandparents live in Germany and stay with the family when they visit, spending 4-5 months of each year living in the house. This meant not only making sure there were enough bedrooms to go around, but that the living space was opened up in a way that provided both space and the promise of seclusion, even with a full house.
It also needed to be hard-wearing and forgiving of the inevitable impact of active little boys, so all of the fixtures were chosen with this in mind. The kitchen is hard wearing as well as attractive, and the bathrooms are modestly sized, with beige hexagonal mosaics on the floor, gloss white tiles on the walls and quality fittings. A light wool carpet was laid in both of the children’s rooms and the grandparents’ section of the house, to add warmth and soften the spaces.
The family had lived in the house for around 6 years before deciding they were ready to renovate. “That was such a plus,” says Pendal. “Living in a home before renovating gives you so much insight into the house and how it works, what you like, love and hate.”
No matter how well you know a property, though, there will always be hidden flaws and unexpected problems. “People think asbestos was only a problem in the undefined but long-ago past,” says Pendal. “Many don’t realise that the 1980s was the tail end of the asbestos era.”
Though most obvious uses of asbestos were over by then, it was still used in the background, and properties of this vintage should be investigated before work begins. “We had the house thoroughly checked out and found some in the lining of the eaves, which then had to be removed with the greatest of care,” says Pendal.
No matter how well you know a property, though, there will always be hidden flaws and unexpected problems. “People think asbestos was only a problem in the undefined but long-ago past,” says Pendal. “Many don’t realise that the 1980s was the tail end of the asbestos era.”
Though most obvious uses of asbestos were over by then, it was still used in the background, and properties of this vintage should be investigated before work begins. “We had the house thoroughly checked out and found some in the lining of the eaves, which then had to be removed with the greatest of care,” says Pendal.
One of the lovely things about this house is the sense of enjoyment that permeates the whole affair. “This is definitely one of our all-time favourite projects,” says Pendal. “It’s not just the house, but the pleasure of working with such engaged clients.
“They’re just such nice people, and they contributed an enormous amount to the project. They’re highly developed professionals in their own fields, and they demonstrated a genuine respect for the professional opinions and skills of others.”
“They’re just such nice people, and they contributed an enormous amount to the project. They’re highly developed professionals in their own fields, and they demonstrated a genuine respect for the professional opinions and skills of others.”
The defining moment for both architect and client came from realising that while it would be wrong on environmental and budget grounds to pull the house down, the impact went further than that. “The ‘knock it down’ approach to renovating doesn’t give suburbs a chance to mature,” says Pendal.
“When you bring in the bulldozers you don’t just remake a house, you remove part of an area’s past and change what it is in the present. Sometimes the right thing to do is to clear and start again, but sometimes it’s to nest in place. Maybe we need to let suburbs become 80 to 100 years old before they find their character, maybe that’s what ‘character’ is.”
Whatever character is, the Carine House certainly has buckets of it.
“When you bring in the bulldozers you don’t just remake a house, you remove part of an area’s past and change what it is in the present. Sometimes the right thing to do is to clear and start again, but sometimes it’s to nest in place. Maybe we need to let suburbs become 80 to 100 years old before they find their character, maybe that’s what ‘character’ is.”
Whatever character is, the Carine House certainly has buckets of it.
Who lives here: A professional couple, their two children and for almost half of each year, one set of grandparents.
Where: Carine, Perth, WA.
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Design team: Pendal and Neille (now Simon Pendal Architect). Carrier and Postmus Architects were engaged to design and implement the landscaping of the property.
The house was a project home built in the early 1980s. “It was an underwhelming house in a good spot,” says Pendal. “All the elements were there already, but in an undesigned and basically scruffy state.” Knock-down rebuild is almost the default option these days, but the couple had a different approach. “They said, ‘We own this house and it would be environmentally unsound and wasteful to just knock it down. Can you do something with it?’” Pendal explains.