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Architecture
This New Old House: A Drab Edwardian Terrace Gets a Deft Redesign
A dramatic gable roofline is the magic touch that unifies old and new in the revamp of this Edwardian terrace
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Rebecca Naughtin, director at Rebecca Naughtin Architect, reveals how she cleverly blended the period features in the original part of this two-bedroom, one-bathroom Edwardian home with a new, contemporary extension.
The exterior of the house before works
Did you use Houzz for this project?
Our clients found us through Houzz. We used Houzz to show them our previous work and precedents, and shared ideabooks to communicate our ideas, including comments.
We then used Houzz to showcase the project upon completion.
Inspired to get cracking on your own renovation? Find a local architect on Houzz and start a conversation
Did you use Houzz for this project?
Our clients found us through Houzz. We used Houzz to show them our previous work and precedents, and shared ideabooks to communicate our ideas, including comments.
We then used Houzz to showcase the project upon completion.
Inspired to get cracking on your own renovation? Find a local architect on Houzz and start a conversation
The exterior after works. New weatherboards were added, the exterior was repainted and a new picket fence was added with cuts to the top of the pickets that mirror the home’s roofline.
Describe the original house
A traditional Edwardian weatherboard terrace on a narrow block with an under-utilised backyard and a lean-to addition at the rear.
The house was renovated 30 years ago and the period features had been retained, and a modern kitchen and bathroom had been integrated into a lean-to at the rear.
Describe the original house
A traditional Edwardian weatherboard terrace on a narrow block with an under-utilised backyard and a lean-to addition at the rear.
The house was renovated 30 years ago and the period features had been retained, and a modern kitchen and bathroom had been integrated into a lean-to at the rear.
The kitchen before works
Gained
Gained
- A new large, open-plan living, dining and kitchen area with seamless connection to a deck and rear landscaping on the ground floor.
- A first-floor addition that houses a new master bedroom with ensuite, a second bedroom and a balcony.
- The existing front bedroom was turned into a study.
- The original dining area was turned into a new bathroom and powder room.
- A renovated facade.
- A carport.
The kitchen after works. An open shelving section in spotted-gum veneer gives the family somewhere to display ornaments – and it also connects the kitchen with the front of the house, which has spotted-gum flooring and balustrades.
What wasn’t working for the client about the original house?
It was too small and the bathroom and laundry faced the rear garden, restricting light access and reducing the connection to the garden.
What problem or constraint did this project address?
The project increased the area of the house by creating a second floor and activating an indoor-outdoor lifestyle by placing the living, dining and kitchen areas adjacent to the deck and garden.
What wasn’t working for the client about the original house?
It was too small and the bathroom and laundry faced the rear garden, restricting light access and reducing the connection to the garden.
What problem or constraint did this project address?
The project increased the area of the house by creating a second floor and activating an indoor-outdoor lifestyle by placing the living, dining and kitchen areas adjacent to the deck and garden.
How does the new work address the problems/limitations identified above?
It creates more space for a flexible and comfortable lifestyle. Moving the living areas adjacent to the garden fills the interiors with light and activates the garden.
The addition of the first floor creates more privacy for the master bedroom and allows for a new study space on the ground floor.
It creates more space for a flexible and comfortable lifestyle. Moving the living areas adjacent to the garden fills the interiors with light and activates the garden.
The addition of the first floor creates more privacy for the master bedroom and allows for a new study space on the ground floor.
The barbecue area has a glass ceiling so it doesn’t obstruct the light and can be used in any weather.
Brief
Brief
- To create a more flexible, light-filled home that activated the backyard and added a second floor.
- Continuity between the finishes of the historical part of the building and the adventurous new space.
- A master bedroom with an ensuite.
- An open-plan kitchen/living/dining room.
- A decked area with seating and a barbecue.
- A study.
- A renovation that retained the existing period features.
The new ground-floor plan
What was the budget?
Between AUD$750,000 and $1 million.
Where did most of it go?
On the double-glazed windows and doors and the slab (which included in-slab hydronic heating).
What was the budget?
Between AUD$750,000 and $1 million.
Where did most of it go?
On the double-glazed windows and doors and the slab (which included in-slab hydronic heating).
The new first-floor plan
What exactly did you do?
What exactly did you do?
- Added a second floor, which houses a new master bedroom with an ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, plus a balcony and a third bedroom.
- Extended the ground floor and added a bedroom, an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, a study, a deck with seating and a barbecue.
- Renovated the hallway and one of the ground-floor bedrooms.
- Turned the bedroom at the front of the house into a study.
- Turned the original dining room into a bathroom, powder room and linen cupboard.
- Retained the period features in the front rooms to respect the original house and provide a continuity between the context of the front facade, interiors and the open-plan area at the rear.
- Added a carport.
How is it the new part of the house connected to the original one?
A landing of stairs at the end of the existing hall acts as the threshold between the old and new parts of the house. However, the continuity between materiality makes this change seamless.
The traditional gable roof form is exaggerated in the extension to complement the context, while still providing a contrast through materiality and colour.
A landing of stairs at the end of the existing hall acts as the threshold between the old and new parts of the house. However, the continuity between materiality makes this change seamless.
The traditional gable roof form is exaggerated in the extension to complement the context, while still providing a contrast through materiality and colour.
Tell us about the arresting roofline
The gable roof is a vernacular form in the houses of Kew, Victoria. We wanted to respect the context while still being playful. Expressing multiple gables allowed for a strong rear façade and only hints of the extension from the front of the house.
The gable form is carried through to the ceiling details and is reference in the feature over the barbecue and in the front fence.
The gable roof is a vernacular form in the houses of Kew, Victoria. We wanted to respect the context while still being playful. Expressing multiple gables allowed for a strong rear façade and only hints of the extension from the front of the house.
The gable form is carried through to the ceiling details and is reference in the feature over the barbecue and in the front fence.
What challenges did you have to work around?
Setbacks from adjacent properties and permeable open space were the key considerations when designing the new extension.
Setbacks from adjacent properties and permeable open space were the key considerations when designing the new extension.
One of the original ground-floor bedrooms was turned into a new study. The stained-glass windows were based on designs in the neighbouring houses and were one of the elements the architect retained.
New first-floor master bedroom
Tell us about the new master bedroom
It has an ensuite, a walk-in wardrobe and a north-facing balcony. The balcony cuts in behind the roof ridge, allowing our client to have complete privacy while still allowing daylight into the room. The ensuite shower also opens onto this balcony.
Tell us about the new master bedroom
It has an ensuite, a walk-in wardrobe and a north-facing balcony. The balcony cuts in behind the roof ridge, allowing our client to have complete privacy while still allowing daylight into the room. The ensuite shower also opens onto this balcony.
The bathroom before works
Why do you think this extension works so well?
There’s a continuity between the old front rooms and the contemporary extension. The connection between the new open-plan living area and the landscaped backyard increases the space of the house and celebrates the adventurous roof form.
Why do you think this extension works so well?
There’s a continuity between the old front rooms and the contemporary extension. The connection between the new open-plan living area and the landscaped backyard increases the space of the house and celebrates the adventurous roof form.
Key features:
- A kitchen island shelf and detailing.
- TV cabinetry and shelves.
- Gable roof forms.
- Outdoors, a new deck, landscaping and barbecue.
The new ensuite in the first-floor addition
Interior fixtures and fittings:
Interior materials palette:
Interior fixtures and fittings:
- Mondoluce Zoe pendant lights over dining table.
- Est Lighting Suspended Linear Light over kitchen island.
- Timber cabinetry throughout custom-made by Davis Furniture.
- Victoria + Albert Barcelona bath in ground-floor bathroom.
- Victoria + Albert Napoli basins in ensuite.
Interior materials palette:
- Stone Italiana quartz stone in Black on kitchen island and Super White on rear kitchen benches, both in Rocface finish.
- Perini Tiles Kosciusko Volcano honed 400 x 800-millimetre stone floor tiles.
- Spotted-gum flooring with a water-based satin finish.
- Timberwood Panels walnut veneer with a two-pack polyurethane satin finish to the TV cabinet.
- Timberwood Panels spotted-gum veneer to the kitchen island’s open shelving.
- Architectural Window Systems aluminium sliding doors with Viridian Glass LightBridge double glazing.
The new ground-floor bathroom
Exterior materials palette:
Paint colours:
Exterior materials palette:
- James Hardie Scyon Matrix cladding in Dulux Black Caviar.
- Spotted-gum deck finished with WOCA oil with a UV tint in Larch.
- Colorbond steel in Monument to roof.
- Connollys Corten Steel fence to rear.
- Bespoke black picket fence to front of house (standard pine pickets cut to match the gable roofline at the top).
Paint colours:
- Dulux Hog Bristle to window frames and Hog Bristle Quarter to exterior walls.
- Dulux Black Caviar to back facade.
- Dulux Whisper White to interior walls (except study).
- Dulux Tranquil Retreat to study walls.
- Dulux Black Caviar to front of kitchen island.
The backyard before works
Your turn
Which feature in this re-design catches your eye? 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 more great renovations? Don’t miss this amazing Project of the Week: A Poky, Light-Starved Victorian Terrace Gets a Sunny Addition
Your turn
Which feature in this re-design catches your eye? 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 more great renovations? Don’t miss this amazing Project of the Week: A Poky, Light-Starved Victorian Terrace Gets a Sunny Addition
Answers by Rebecca Naughtin, director at Rebecca Naughtin Architect
Who lives here: A couple and their puppy
Location: Kew, Victoria
Size of the original single-storey house: 131 square metres
Size of the house after works: The ground floor measures 194 square metres and the new first floor measures 70 square metres
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms originally: Two bedrooms, one bathroom
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Three bedrooms, one main bathroom, one ensuite and one powder room
Architect and landscape designer: Rebecca Naughtin Architect
Landscape construction: Gary Winter Landscape Design
Builder: Clancy Constructions
Engineer: Keith Long Associates
Building surveyor: Mike Neighbour Consultant
Cabinetry: Davis Furniture
Heating and cooling: Mercury Heating and Cooling