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New Look for an Old Charmer: A Time-Warp Bungalow is Transformed
This architect added light, space and indoor-outdoor flow, working with the home's original bones to keep costs down
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Adriano Pupilli, architect and principal at Adriano Pupilli Architects, reveals how he added height, generous living spaces and indoor-outdoor connection to a run-down 1950s bungalow for a young Sydney family, while keeping a lid on the budget.
The house before works
What was the house like before works?
A single-storey, postwar 1950s weatherboard bungalow in very poor condition.
What was the house like before works?
A single-storey, postwar 1950s weatherboard bungalow in very poor condition.
The rear of the house before works
What wasn’t working for the clients?
What wasn’t working for the clients?
- The interior was disconnected from the garden.
- There were random ceiling heights.
- It had awkwardly proportioned spaces that were either too big or too small for their intended purposes.
- There were dead corners throughout the house due to poorly planned renovations over the years.
The pool equipment is cleverly concealed in the terraced deck seating
What was gained with the new works?
We retained the charm of the original bungalow while consolidating the ad-hoc additions over the years and providing an additional bedroom, master bedroom with an ensuite and an open-plan living/dining/kitchen.
The new design also included a new outdoor entertaining area and swimming pool with seamless connection to the kitchen/dining room and two covered car spaces.
What was gained with the new works?
We retained the charm of the original bungalow while consolidating the ad-hoc additions over the years and providing an additional bedroom, master bedroom with an ensuite and an open-plan living/dining/kitchen.
The new design also included a new outdoor entertaining area and swimming pool with seamless connection to the kitchen/dining room and two covered car spaces.
The original floor plan
What was the clients’ brief?
Please fix my house!
What were their must-haves?
What was the clients’ brief?
Please fix my house!
What were their must-haves?
- Consistent ceiling heights throughout the house and the removal of random steps in floor levels.
- A free-flowing connection to the garden.
- A dining space that was more connected to the kitchen and garden so that it would be used more frequently rather than on odd occasions.
- An additional bedroom.
- An ensuite to the master bedroom.
The new floor plan
You worked with the original bones of the house to keep costs down. How exactly?
The foundations, many walls at the front part of the house and much of the tiled roof was retained, stitching in the new work where required. This strategy greatly helped keep costs down.
The investment was in the raising of the roof over the dining area and the front bedroom to create a lightness and generosity of space.
The exposed hardwood structure above the dining room, which extends over the outdoor dining, was also an area of investment that has paid dividends.
You worked with the original bones of the house to keep costs down. How exactly?
The foundations, many walls at the front part of the house and much of the tiled roof was retained, stitching in the new work where required. This strategy greatly helped keep costs down.
The investment was in the raising of the roof over the dining area and the front bedroom to create a lightness and generosity of space.
The exposed hardwood structure above the dining room, which extends over the outdoor dining, was also an area of investment that has paid dividends.
The house before works
Where did most of the budget go?
The pool was the most expensive feature, but joinery was another big-ticket item. Also reshaping the roof, which required a lot of structural work.
Where did most of the budget go?
The pool was the most expensive feature, but joinery was another big-ticket item. Also reshaping the roof, which required a lot of structural work.
The house before works
What challenges did you have to work around?
Working with the existing roof forms and inconsistent ceiling levels across the house, cleaning up the ad-hoc lean-to additions to create lofty new sleeping and living spaces, and creating a contemporary and clean address to the street and garden while retaining as much of the existing home as possible to keep costs down.
Where there any heritage restrictions?
No.
What challenges did you have to work around?
Working with the existing roof forms and inconsistent ceiling levels across the house, cleaning up the ad-hoc lean-to additions to create lofty new sleeping and living spaces, and creating a contemporary and clean address to the street and garden while retaining as much of the existing home as possible to keep costs down.
Where there any heritage restrictions?
No.
The maple exterior doors to the new rear extension were reclaimed from the original house
We love the deep window frames in the dining room – tell us about them
They are a playful way of inhabiting the architecture. They give the house a sense of being accommodating of its occupants. They also serve to frame views into the pool and garden and provide casual seating that you can perch on while telling a yarn or lingering with a good book. Visually, they provide articulation to the facade and cast interesting shadows inside and out.
We love the deep window frames in the dining room – tell us about them
They are a playful way of inhabiting the architecture. They give the house a sense of being accommodating of its occupants. They also serve to frame views into the pool and garden and provide casual seating that you can perch on while telling a yarn or lingering with a good book. Visually, they provide articulation to the facade and cast interesting shadows inside and out.
Tell us about the new decked area
This was an area that the original house wanted to connect with but was failing to do so, due to poorly planned structures blocking physical access and ceiling heights limiting visual connection. It was definitely on the client’s radar but it was unclear what could be done until we delved further into the design process.
This was an area that the original house wanted to connect with but was failing to do so, due to poorly planned structures blocking physical access and ceiling heights limiting visual connection. It was definitely on the client’s radar but it was unclear what could be done until we delved further into the design process.
A polycarbonate roof shelters the outdoor entertaining area without blocking natural light
Browse more images of beautiful Australian homes on Houzz
Browse more images of beautiful Australian homes on Houzz
What was your thinking behind the design of the kitchen?
The kitchen was conceived of as the anchor of the house. Occupying a large corner position between the dining and living areas, the kitchen is a control point from which you can monitor everything that is going on, inside and out.
Functionally, the idea was to incorporate a generous island bench that could provide valuable preparation space, while concealing things like a wine fridge and storage.
The L-shaped plan also lends itself to entertaining, as more than one person can occupy the kitchen without any bottlenecks.
The kitchen was conceived of as the anchor of the house. Occupying a large corner position between the dining and living areas, the kitchen is a control point from which you can monitor everything that is going on, inside and out.
Functionally, the idea was to incorporate a generous island bench that could provide valuable preparation space, while concealing things like a wine fridge and storage.
The L-shaped plan also lends itself to entertaining, as more than one person can occupy the kitchen without any bottlenecks.
Cabinets are painted white above the bench to help them read as part of the wall. Adjacent cabinetry is a cool grey with subtle shadow lines to help bring in some texture, while complementing the Carrara marble benches and splashbacks.
A key design move was to place all the tall bulky items, such as the fridge, pantry and laundry, along the back wall. It reads as part of the fabric of the room rather than cupboards jutting out from the wall and encroaching on the space.
A key design move was to place all the tall bulky items, such as the fridge, pantry and laundry, along the back wall. It reads as part of the fabric of the room rather than cupboards jutting out from the wall and encroaching on the space.
Tell us about the colour and materials palette you’ve used
The materials palette is all neutral and raw materials; primarily stone, solid hardwood and birch plywood. Where painted surfaces were used, the colour was Dulux Vivid White to increase the amount of natural light bouncing around.
Glass has been used in the roof above the entrance to provide a welcoming arrival space sheltered from the elements but drenched in daylight.
Structural steel for the carports has been left as a galvanised finish to again stay true to a raw and honest materials palette.
The materials palette is all neutral and raw materials; primarily stone, solid hardwood and birch plywood. Where painted surfaces were used, the colour was Dulux Vivid White to increase the amount of natural light bouncing around.
Glass has been used in the roof above the entrance to provide a welcoming arrival space sheltered from the elements but drenched in daylight.
Structural steel for the carports has been left as a galvanised finish to again stay true to a raw and honest materials palette.
The external cladding is timber weatherboard, dark stained to define the new portion of the build and white painted where the original fabric of the house has been retained.
Hardwood blackbutt rafters match the floors. The original bi-folding doors were salvaged from the old house and reused, painted white internally and black outside to tie in with the dark-stained exterior.
Painted steel window seats protrude from the living and dining room windows to frame views and provide a comfortable seat with an outlook.
Hardwood blackbutt rafters match the floors. The original bi-folding doors were salvaged from the old house and reused, painted white internally and black outside to tie in with the dark-stained exterior.
Painted steel window seats protrude from the living and dining room windows to frame views and provide a comfortable seat with an outlook.
The new ensuite is concealed behind sliding doors
Tell us about the design of the bathrooms
The bathrooms are clean, fresh and light. They’re accentuated by particular elements such as stone, hardwood and birch plywood to offset the cool palette with some warmth.
The ensuite was conceived of as an extension to the bedroom to increase the sense of space in the bedroom and also allow for efficient flow when getting ready in the morning.
The bathrooms are clean, fresh and light. They’re accentuated by particular elements such as stone, hardwood and birch plywood to offset the cool palette with some warmth.
The ensuite was conceived of as an extension to the bedroom to increase the sense of space in the bedroom and also allow for efficient flow when getting ready in the morning.
The ensuite
In the small family bathroom, the architect clad the floor and bath in the same tiles to make the boundary line between the two disappear, which visually increases the sense of depth.
The main bathroom was driven around the desire to maintain the twin sash windows, characteristic of postwar bungalow construction typology. It needed to be hardworking while retaining a sense of space and openness.
A bath-shower combo and a light palette of neutral materials was called on here to achieve this.
The main bathroom was driven around the desire to maintain the twin sash windows, characteristic of postwar bungalow construction typology. It needed to be hardworking while retaining a sense of space and openness.
A bath-shower combo and a light palette of neutral materials was called on here to achieve this.
The main family bathroom
What are the defining features of this house now?
What are the defining features of this house now?
- Confident gable roof profiles, front and back, giving the house a distinct character and street presence.
- An entrance that immediately delights and welcomes you into the house.
- A generous and dramatic ceiling line that extends from inside to out.
- Free-flowing connection between living spaces and the garden and outdoor entertaining area.
- Plenty of storage and flexibility needed for a small family to grow.
- A garden that extends the liveability of the house by making it part of everyday life in the home.
Key design aspects
Interior materials palette
Interior fixtures and fittings
Interior materials palette
- Blackbutt flooring and exposed rafters.
- Reclaimed maple exterior doors from the original house.
- Reclaimed windows to the main bathroom from the original house.
- Carrara marble kitchen benchtops and splashbacks in the kitchen.
- Two-pack polyurethane finish to the cabinets as well as birch veneer in places.
- Sliding ensuite doors in solid routed birch plywood.
- Blackbutt ensuite vanity bench.
Interior fixtures and fittings
Exterior palette
Paint colours
Your turn
Are you as impressed with this smart renovation as we are? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another inspiring renovation? Take a look at this project: Texture, Warmth and Coastal Touches for a Renovated Family Home
- Sikkens dark stain to hardwood cladding.
- Polycarbonate roof over outdoor entertaining area.
- Blackbutt exterior tongue-and-groove cladding with V-joint shadow lines at joints.
- White pine weatherboard with a scalloped profile to match the existing bungalow.
Paint colours
- Dulux Vivid White to interior.
- Dulux Lexicon to weatherboard.
- Dulux Namadji to existing windows and doors.
- Dulux Ferrodor in Natural Grey to steel window reveals, inside and out.
- Bona Traffic Matte floor finish.
- Cutek clear coating to exposed hardwood, inside and out.
Your turn
Are you as impressed with this smart renovation as we are? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another inspiring renovation? Take a look at this project: Texture, Warmth and Coastal Touches for a Renovated Family Home
Answers by Adriano Pupilli, architect and principal at Adriano Pupilli Architects
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: North Balgowlah, NSW
Approximate size before works: 120 square metres
Approximate size after works: 134 square metres
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms originally: Two bedrooms and one bathroom
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms now: Three bedrooms and two bathrooms
Architect: Adriano Pupilli, architect and principal at Adriano Pupilli Architects
Builder: Upgrade Constructions
Structural engineer: Partridge Structural