Our clients were looking to transform their charming Californian Bungalow in Sandringham, Victoria to see them through the next 20 years. They approached My Architect with the aim to retain the characterful look and feel of the original home, while creating one that better catered for the family during the kids’ teenage years and beyond. We spoke to them just prior to their first Christmas in their newly renovated home.

When you first met with Lyndal Williams (architect) what was your brief?
“We knew we needed a larger living room, a bedroom each for the kids, a pool and a basketball area. These were all on our 'must-have' list. Troy and I work from home, so the front living room needed to remain our office. And with our growing kids, better storage was a priority.

Why did you decide to go with My Architect?
"We knew we wanted to use an architect. We work in the design industry and understand the value a quality architect brings to a project. We liked the way My Architect's structure works, allowing us to remain in control, rather than being locked into a contract with a large design/build company."

What was the house like before the renovation?
"It's a 100 year old Californian Bungalow so it has great bones. It also had a renovation added about 30 years ago which we wanted to change. We needed to completely remove this part of the house and begin again with the original house layout."

Were there any other major considerations?
“There was the additional challenge of needing to comply with the streetscape character of the existing building, while adding a fresh, contemporary twist. Lyndal really understood this. She developed a concept design that ticked all of our boxes, managed the regulatory approvals throughout and completed the construction drawings.

Can you give us an idea of the changes you made?
"The two front original rooms, being the main bedroom and a living room were retained as is. Everything behind that was gutted, including demolishing the 30 year renovation. We then rebuilt a new back half of the house, remodelling some of the original layout, enlarging the original front living room and keeping the main bedroom the same size. We then added a second storey, including 3 bedrooms, a living room and two bathrooms."

What were some of the design considerations or challenges that had to be solved?
"We needed to comply with heritage controls for the front facade. We also needed to go through town planning initially because our site is just under 500sqm, which added an additional 7 months onto the design planning phase, before we could start working drawings. We had one objection which Lyndal dealt with by designing external louvres for the back upstairs bedrooms."

What is your favourite part of the new space?
"It's probably the brick feature wall in our lounge room and outdoor area which was constructed from the bricks of our old driveway and backyard paving. This wall was also in our main brief to Lyndal when we first met. We kept the original ceiling height of the front of the house but since the block slopes down, Lyndal designed the new half of the house to step down by 3 steps, so our main living room / kitchen ceiling height is a generous 3.6m. This creates an amazing volume and sense of space in the back half of the house. We love it and everyone always comments on it."

What makes this renovation special?
"We had lived in the house for 11 years and we plan on being here for the next 20, so we put a lot of time and effort into the project. We splurged on a few things, like the green tiles for our bathroom, the amazingly soft carpet in our main bedroom and the marble benchtops in the kitchen, knowing we will enjoy them for many years to come."

Were there any energy efficient or environmental considerations applied to this project?
"Highlight louvre windows were installed along the west and east walls of the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs to allow breezes to move through the house. The main living area is a concrete slab to absorb the heat from the north sun.”

The landscaping and planting around the house is obviously very important to you. How do the house design and planting complement each other?
This was always part of our brief. We are on a smallish block so we have maximised every cm of the outside to fit in a pool and spa, whilst making sure we have a big enough decking area leading out from the main living area, as we eat outside and entertain a lot. We installed a small basketball court for our kids which is proving to be a very multi-functional play area. And there's a fire pit area in the front garden. All of the doors and outlooks were designed to make the most of these areas.

Now that the project is complete, what were some of the main benefits of working with Lyndal?
What really impressed us was her careful consideration of the original structure at the front of the house, in terms of existing beams and so much more. She didn't design any unnecessary things, but worked with what was there already, enhancing it immeasurably, delivering our wish list and giving our home a new life. “

Architect: Lyndal Williams @ My Architect
Builder: Apollo Homes
Finishes Selection: KWD
Landscaping: Zenith Concepts
Dining room table, couches: Voyager Interiors
Photography: Thomas Dalhoff