Stickybeak: From Closed-Up House to Close-Up Views of Nature

A dark, old post office is transformed into an airy beach house with a laid-back feel... all on a tight budget

Rebecca Gross 9 May 2019

Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."

Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More

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“How do you transform a gloomy old post office into an airy beach house on a budget?” That was the question the design team at OOF! Architecture asked when its clients approached them to renovate their beach house on the Victorian coast just past Barwon Heads. Located close to the great outdoors, the house had lots of potential, but boxy rooms with double-blinded, high-silled windows limited the outdoor connection. “We focused on the single thing that bugged the clients the most – the closed-up boxy nature of the old house – and worked to make it as open and light as possible,” says Fooi-Ling Khoo, architect and director of OOF! “A few simple changes have relaxed the house into the more laid-back pace of life at the beach.”

OOF! Architecture

Images by Tatjana Plitt

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple who works in hospitality
Location: Between Barwon Heads and Torquay, Victoria
Size: 60 square metres on the ground floor (plus 60 square metres of minor works)
Architect: OOF! Architecture

The two-storey weatherboard house has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. OOF! did some minor work to refresh the bedrooms on the upper floor, and reconfigured the ground floor to accommodate a new kitchen, dining and living space, as well as an entry, mudroom and a new facade.

The house sits on a spit of land, with a surf beach to the south and marshy wetlands to the north. “Orientated northwards, it looks over a vista of peaceful wetlands. Problem is, the house was so enclosed you wouldn’t know where it was,” says Khoo.

OOF! Architecture

The design team focused on opening up the living space to create a connection to the site and the outdoors. “We removed the high-silled windows and cut open the front of the house from floor to ceiling to create a sort of mega-verandah,” says Khoo.

OOF! Architecture

OOF! then designed a floor-to-ceiling window system that frames views of the wetlands and lets in as much light as possible while controlling the harsh afternoon sun. “It was essentially designing the opposite of what was already there,” says Khoo.

OOF! Architecture

The system comprises a series of rectangular and triangular panes. Rectangular windows have panes that slide up and down to control the breeze. Each rectangular window is overlaid with two triangular frames with perforated metal screens. They can be opened and closed to protect against the sun while always keeping the room open to key parts of the view.

The different greens of the frames are designed to be seen from the inside looking out to the wetlands landscape.

Painted hardwood frames; perforated metal sheeting: Locker

OOF! Architecture

The interior is a palette of robust, low-maintenance materials that have natural beauty and warmth. This includes timber flooring, stone benchtops, plywood joinery and a copper pendant. Shiplap on the raked ceiling evokes the coastal vibes.

Raw Copper Pendant: Giffin Design

OOF! Architecture

A salvaged barn door has also been re-used, and perforated plywood adds texture and contrast.

OOF! Architecture

Benchtop: Caesarstone; MAXI-Film Birch Plywood: MAXI Plywood; Bolero sink and tapware: Franke

OOF! Architecture

While the living area looks out to more distant views of the wetlands, the kitchen windows are closely surrounded by trees, offering a more intimate sense of being among nature and the great outdoors.

OOF! Architecture

“The house now catches the holiday vibes with beautiful views over serene native wetlands and the muted roar of wild surf beaches from the dune behind,” says Khoo. “We like to think that it’s finally found its mojo as a sunny summer beach house.”

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Want to see more incredible home transformations? Don’t miss last week’s A Classic Federation Home Gets a Cool, Industrial-Style Extension

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kirstenjustin

Wow - I just love this house. Such a warm, inviting, relaxing space. I wouldn't choose green but it really works here. I would so love to go here on a holiday))

Like 12 May 2019 at 2:54pm