From outdated to best in show - Blackburn
This project is a great example of what could be achieved with Australia’s existing housing stock. Through minimal intervention, this average suburban family home has been transformed into an exemplar of contemporary living.
Our clients wanted to fix elements of their family home’s less-than-ideal amenity, but didn’t want to knock-down-rebuild. The home was large enough, but hot in summer, cool in winter, disconnected from the backyard, overlooked by neighbours, disjointed, and tired and dated.
Our approach was to do as little as possible to keep costs down and minimise disruption to the built structure – why meddle if you don’t need to? With the removal of just two internal walls we reconfigured the layout to improve functionality and access (no more entering onto a blank wall) and create generous open plan indoor-outdoor living. A new modern kitchen with full height extensive storage is seamlessly integrated as the heart of the home, rather than a pokey offshoot. The facade’s outdated curved window has been replaced with a square picture bay window seat creating a renewed modernised first impression.
We’ve improved the comfort and liveability of the home through adjusting glazing levels and replacing with thermally broken windows, installing solar power and high-level insulation, and zoning living areas to reduce volumes required for heating and cooling.
We redesigned the landscape, including a new pool, built in bench seats, grassy terraces, privacy screens from the neighbours, and an extensive north-facing patio with timber pergola.
Working with interior design consultants, we’ve introduced a cohesive interiors program to the home. A dated timber staircase is skinned in plasterboard to become a striking sculptural feature; we resurfaced fixtures and finishes – tiles, carpet and colour palette – to update bathrooms, bedrooms and living areas.
Through minimal structural interventions, ESD design improvements, and an extensive interiors refresh, we’ve transformed this “ugly duckling” into a comfortable and attractive family home, while saving tonnes of building waste from landfill.
family home renovation
interior design
landscape design
strong connection between indoors and outdoors
water tank
low maintenance
insulation
solar panel system
thermal break aluminium double glazing