Houzz Tour: Perth Addition Packs a Lot of Lovely Into a Small Package
A worker's cottage expands in all the right places to accommodate a couple's changing needs
Joanna Tovia
26 January 2015
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
Who lives here? Couple Eamon and Davina, their two-year-old son, Theodore, and dog, Chloe
Location: Claremont, Perth, Western Australia
Size: The original house was 85 square metres, and the two-storey extension added 144 square metres to the space
When you’re a busy working couple like Eamon and Davina, both doctors, a small worker’s cottage can provide ample living space. But when that couple is about to become a family, it’s time to nest and make space for a new addition or two. Eamon and Davina wanted to retain the character of their existing house, but also sought to make better use of the space and create a light and spacious open-plan living area in a new rear addition. With this in mind, they turned to Mata Design Studio to help them realise their vision. As well as an open-plan living area housing the kitchen, living room and laundry, a boutique hotel-style upstairs master bedroom and ensuite now overlooks a new outdoor entertaining area and swimming pool.
Location: Claremont, Perth, Western Australia
Size: The original house was 85 square metres, and the two-storey extension added 144 square metres to the space
When you’re a busy working couple like Eamon and Davina, both doctors, a small worker’s cottage can provide ample living space. But when that couple is about to become a family, it’s time to nest and make space for a new addition or two. Eamon and Davina wanted to retain the character of their existing house, but also sought to make better use of the space and create a light and spacious open-plan living area in a new rear addition. With this in mind, they turned to Mata Design Studio to help them realise their vision. As well as an open-plan living area housing the kitchen, living room and laundry, a boutique hotel-style upstairs master bedroom and ensuite now overlooks a new outdoor entertaining area and swimming pool.
The leafy western Perth suburb of Claremont is close to the CBD and borders on the Swan River; the blocks in this area vary in size.
“Working within the setbacks of this 407-square-metre property, they wanted to create a sense of space and light with high ceilings and glazing through open-plan living areas,” says Mata Design Studio director Paul Lim.
Although the couple wanted extra room to move for the child they hoped they’d soon have, the relatively small block made it important to work efficiently with space. Tan managed to squeeze in a plunge pool into the backyard, and the adjacent carport can double as extra entertaining space when needed.
“The merbau timber pool deck around the heated concrete plunge pool is mirrored in the carport soffit lining, which lifts the area,” Lim explains. The carport roof is also lined with artificial turf. Instead of looking over a dull roof from their master bedroom upstairs, the couple overlook a grassy vista!
Vertical green walls: O2 Plantwalls
“Working within the setbacks of this 407-square-metre property, they wanted to create a sense of space and light with high ceilings and glazing through open-plan living areas,” says Mata Design Studio director Paul Lim.
Although the couple wanted extra room to move for the child they hoped they’d soon have, the relatively small block made it important to work efficiently with space. Tan managed to squeeze in a plunge pool into the backyard, and the adjacent carport can double as extra entertaining space when needed.
“The merbau timber pool deck around the heated concrete plunge pool is mirrored in the carport soffit lining, which lifts the area,” Lim explains. The carport roof is also lined with artificial turf. Instead of looking over a dull roof from their master bedroom upstairs, the couple overlook a grassy vista!
Vertical green walls: O2 Plantwalls
BEFORE: The simple worker’s cottage had been renovated in the 1980s, but the rooms were disconnected and the house lacked living space.
Now, when you walk into the redesigned ground floor, you find two bedrooms, a guest bathroom and a formal dining room at the front, with a generous kitchen, laundry and living room towards the rear that opens out via glass sliding doors to the backyard.
Now, when you walk into the redesigned ground floor, you find two bedrooms, a guest bathroom and a formal dining room at the front, with a generous kitchen, laundry and living room towards the rear that opens out via glass sliding doors to the backyard.
The entire rear of the home can be opened up to the polished concrete outdoor area, blurring the lines between inside and out.
Although the home is sleek and fairly minimalist, it also works for their son Theodore (nicknamed Teddy), who was born during the build. The family welcomed another addition to the family during construction, too – their dog, Chloe.
Although the home is sleek and fairly minimalist, it also works for their son Theodore (nicknamed Teddy), who was born during the build. The family welcomed another addition to the family during construction, too – their dog, Chloe.
Davina loves cooking, so not only did she need a kitchen with plenty of bench space, storage and two Miele ovens, she also needed plenty of shelving to house her collection of cookbooks and cooking magazines.
“The kitchen was designed for entertaining and gives a focus to the back area,” Lim says. “It became pivotal to the design.”
“The kitchen was designed for entertaining and gives a focus to the back area,” Lim says. “It became pivotal to the design.”
The surface-mounted tubed canister lights over the island bench tie in with the feature pendant above the seating area and add interest to the contemporary lines and limited colour palette of the kitchen. Lim says the homeowners have “great taste” and chose many of the lighting fixtures and other decorative elements of the house themselves.
The European oak used in the feature shelves reappears throughout the renovated home for continuity.
Marble splashback: Arabescata Bianco; benchtops: Quantum Quartz; cabinetry: 2-pack, painted white
The European oak used in the feature shelves reappears throughout the renovated home for continuity.
Marble splashback: Arabescata Bianco; benchtops: Quantum Quartz; cabinetry: 2-pack, painted white
“Lighting is simple and minimal to reflect the overall design,” Lim says.
The lighting, blinds, security and sound system run on a central home automation system.
Pendant light: Volkerhaug
The lighting, blinds, security and sound system run on a central home automation system.
Pendant light: Volkerhaug
Davina and Eamon have an enviable art collection and wanted the addition to provide ways to display it. The leaf wallpaper and dining table in the formal dining area come from The Conran Shop in the UK.
The refinished jarrah floors mark where the original house ended before the renovation began.
Eames chairs: Living Edge
The refinished jarrah floors mark where the original house ended before the renovation began.
Eames chairs: Living Edge
The furnishings have been carefully selected to fit in with the contemporary style of the interiors, and add subtle colour, texture and softness to the stylish living area.
Sofa: Jardan
Sofa: Jardan
The European oak timber panel behind the TV echoes the tone and style of the vanity in the new ensuite upstairs. “We gave a sample to a cabinet maker so he could match the stain,” Lim says.
From the living area, the soffit lining used in the carport means the structure adds to, rather than takes away, from the outlook.
The half wall and concrete bench housing the built-in barbecue shields the car from view when it’s parked inside.
“High ceilings on the ground floor and ample glazing to both floors on the rear elevation opens the house up to the new south-facing outdoor entertaining area and plunge pool,” Lim says.
On the first floor the master bedroom has a boutique hotel-like feel, with the ensuite separated from the bedroom with a glass wall and curtain. The ensuite manages to incorporate a freestanding bath, separate toilet, shower with overhead and rail shower, and storage.
There’s a small study at the top of the stairs on this level, as well as a nursery. The nursery has a large sliding door that allows the space to be opened up when needed, or when it no longer functions as a nursery.
There’s a small study at the top of the stairs on this level, as well as a nursery. The nursery has a large sliding door that allows the space to be opened up when needed, or when it no longer functions as a nursery.
The Falper vanity inspired the tone of timber used in the cabinetry and wall features in the rest of the house.
Tiles: Academy Tiles
Tiles: Academy Tiles
Having plenty of windows fills the master bedroom with natural light, making it feel more spacious.
A metal screen on the first floor provides privacy from the nearby neighbours.
A new front fence was only fitting given the freshly renovated interiors.
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What a nice renovation. It looks like they've had a nice pool renovation there too which is great for the Perth summers.