The owners of this semi-detached 1920s home in South Caulfield approached My Architect with the brief to provide much needed extra space to accomodate their two growing children and create larger living and dining areas. It was the classic case of when children move from the baby/toddler stage to active children who need much more elbow room.

The existing internal spaces also needed reconfiguring, including the bathroom, kitchen and children's bedrooms. Our clients also wanted to create a closer connection between the living areas and the back garden, designed and built by My Architect's Tim Rayson.

Architect, Robert Harwood's solution was to extend out into the long rectangular garden to create a much larger living/dining area, while maintaining the existing step up into the kitchen from the back yard (see 'before' shots below). This provided a seamless viewing platform of the living/dining area from the kitchen, while maintaining a separate, albeit much larger kitchen space.

Seamless transition from kitchen, living and dining areas. Natural light enters the kitchen and beyond via an internal courtyard with herb garden. To the left of the bookshelf, a new upscaled entrance door leads out to a pergola planted with vines. A wood deck path provides a pleasing, leafy, light-filled route to the street, creating a sense of interest and drama. A fresh, functional, no-fuss result that respects the home's original features, while oozing contemporary style.

BEFORE WORKS BEGAN...
See first four images. A backyard without any connection to the house itself, with steep stairs down to a fairly hard and unappealing seating area. A kitchen drenched in dated peachy tones and a space that needed refreshing and reconfiguring for this young and active family of four.