Pic taken on sale of property by Ray White, Mount Barker. Used with permission. Lush garden with only Australian natives and attracting wildlife.

Fringe Dweller’s sculpted extension transforms an unassuming weatherboard cottage into a proud forever home. It walks multiple tightropes at once: balancing openness with privacy, strength with softness, and a rich history with our clients’ future needs. On Clifton Hill’s suburban edge, the house sits opposite the leafy Quarries Park Reserve. Our clients, Ishtar and Craig, have three children and purchased their cottage to create a long-term family home. Lying within a heritage overlay, the cottage’s traditional layout is largely preserved – only tweaked, in a wise parenting move, to form three equally sized bedrooms. The extension’s shared spaces feature rich materials, a warm palette and curved edges, creating a feeling of softness and easing transitions between zones. A staircase arcing through the living areas leads up to the lounge and main suite. Elevated above street level, these spaces can more freely relate to the park: the lounge’s attached balcony overlooks the park’s open field, while the main bedroom’s floor-to-ceiling window frames magnificent foliage. Downstairs, sliding doors connect the living areas to a semi-covered deck, while the garden beyond is embraced by a self-contained studio at the rear and high walls on either side. A brick wall interspersed with permeable screens lines the site’s public edge, balancing backyard privacy with neighbourhood connection. For passers-by, it’s a strong addition to the streetscape, granting glimpses of the lush garden within. Fringe Dweller embraces its presence on the fringe of the parklands, balancing its historical context with its future as a nurturing family home.

Part two storey and single storey extensions to a semi-detached 1930 home at the back of the house to expand the space for a growing family and allow for the interior to feel brighter and more joyful.

Rear elevation view. 2 x storey side extension and single storey side extension.

A tired, small 1970's house was refurbished and extended to become a modern, light-filled, sunny family home. The original house didn't take advantage of its leafy, expansive site, so the extension pushed north and opened up to the sun and outdoors. Living areas flow onto spacious, sunny outdoor areas to the north, and a generous hallway flows through to a new pool and the mature, leafy trees of the neighbouring park. A strong, geometric form sits wide on the site and its pitched roof creates open, airy, light-filled interior spaces. High windows give glimpses of the sky and surrounding trees, and side windows provide a green, leafy outlook to the reserve next door. A muted but rich finishes palette and carefully designed cabinetry complement the lofty architecture. This busy young family can now live and thrive in their beautifully spacious, well-functioning home.

Hemmed in by houses on a tiny urban site, a gable roofed addition along one side is tucked behind the cottage allowing for the living room on the other side to have vaulted ceilings.

Craftsman renovation and extension