Raising the Standard: A 1950s Brick Home's Sympathetic Extension
A dark and cramped 1950s home is made family friendly thanks to a spacious new extension and some internal shuffling
Georgia Madden
10 October 2019
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation or extension each week. Here, James Newcombe, architect and principal at JLN Designs, shares the journey of extending a two-bedroom, one-bathroom brick cottage and reshaping it into a three-bedroom, two-bathroom contemporary home fit for a young family.
Images by Laura Tolson at Lateral Vision
Answers by James Newcombe, architect and principal at JLN Designs
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Clarence Gardens, SA
Original size: 101 square metres
Size after works: 211 square metres
Size of new extension: 110 square metres
What as the budget?
Approximately $200,000.
Architect: James Newcombe at JLN Designs
Builder: Glenn Manthorpe at Regency Home Improvements
Answers by James Newcombe, architect and principal at JLN Designs
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Clarence Gardens, SA
Original size: 101 square metres
Size after works: 211 square metres
Size of new extension: 110 square metres
What as the budget?
Approximately $200,000.
Architect: James Newcombe at JLN Designs
Builder: Glenn Manthorpe at Regency Home Improvements
The front of the house before works
Gained
Gained
- A new single-level, brick-veneer extension housing an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area.
- A new butler’s pantry.
- A third bedroom.
- A new main family bathroom.
- A new master ensuite.
The rear of the house before works
What was the house like originally?
A modest single-storey, two bedroom, one-bathroom brick home built around 1955.
What state was it in?
The home was neat, tidy and liveable inside, but tired on the outside.
What wasn’t working for the owners?
The kitchen and bathroom were cramped and the fixtures and fittings were old, plus the study at the rear of the house was too narrow to convert into a third bedroom.
Thinking of renovating or extending? Find a local architect on Houzz and chat through the possibilities
What was the house like originally?
A modest single-storey, two bedroom, one-bathroom brick home built around 1955.
What state was it in?
The home was neat, tidy and liveable inside, but tired on the outside.
What wasn’t working for the owners?
The kitchen and bathroom were cramped and the fixtures and fittings were old, plus the study at the rear of the house was too narrow to convert into a third bedroom.
Thinking of renovating or extending? Find a local architect on Houzz and chat through the possibilities
What was the client’s brief?
What were the client’s must-haves?
- Convert the study into a larger third bedroom.
- Add a new, open-plan kitchen/living/dining space.
- Include a new butler’s pantry.
- Convert the original kitchen into a new main bathroom.
- Turn the existing bathroom into a master ensuite.
- If budget permits, convert the existing garage into a studio.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- A new living/dining/kitchen area.
- A butler’s pantry.
- Convert the study into a large third bedroom.
What problems did this project address?
No third bedroom, and a cramped kitchen and bathroom.
How does the new work address these issues?
The new extension transforms what was a small and dark brick house for a couple into a modern and functional home for a young family with kids.
No third bedroom, and a cramped kitchen and bathroom.
How does the new work address these issues?
The new extension transforms what was a small and dark brick house for a couple into a modern and functional home for a young family with kids.
Original floor plan
What exactly did you do?
What exactly did you do?
- Added a new extension to the rear of the property housing an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area and a butler’s pantry.
- Converted and enlarged the original study and turned it into a generous third bedroom.
- Turned the original kitchen into the main family bathroom.
- Converted the original main bathroom into a master ensuite.
How does the new extension complement or contrast with the original home?
The two stand in contrast. The new extension steps down from the existing house and opens up into a larger volume of space with a high vaulted ceiling, plenty of natural light and views to the backyard.
How are the two areas connected?
The new extension is connected to the original house via the corridor of the existing house. This was done from a functional point of view, but also to gradually reveal the new extension as you walk down the corridor through light and glimpses of views of the rear garden.
The two stand in contrast. The new extension steps down from the existing house and opens up into a larger volume of space with a high vaulted ceiling, plenty of natural light and views to the backyard.
How are the two areas connected?
The new extension is connected to the original house via the corridor of the existing house. This was done from a functional point of view, but also to gradually reveal the new extension as you walk down the corridor through light and glimpses of views of the rear garden.
What challenges did you face?
- We were restricted by a three-metre wall-height limit on the eastern boundary, which would have reduced our ceiling height in the new addition to between 2.4 and 2.7 metres. We solved this by specifying a vaulted ceiling that increased in height the further it got from the boundary.
- We were also restricted to a maximum wall length of 12 metres along this boundary line (which included the existing garage). Our solution was to step in the eastern wall at the kitchen and pantry, so as not to sacrifice any living-room space.
- Matching the roof of the new extension with the existing house was also problematic. We addressed this by having a break between the two roofs with a box gutter in between them.
- Installing ducted air-conditioning in the open-plan living/dining/kitchen space was problematic with a vaulted ceiling. We solved this by putting in a lower bulkhead above the kitchen area so we could duct air out through the side of it into the living area.
Key features
Why do you think this project works so well?
It almost doubles the floor area of the home, and the living areas are now positioned at the rear northern side of the block to take advantage of the sun and backyard views.
Plus, the new kitchen, bathroom and ensuite improve the amenity and functionality of the house, and an extra bedroom has been gained.
- A spacious, open-plan extension.
- High ceilings to the new extension that maximise light and create a sense of volume.
- Large north-facing windows to the new extension that let in winter sun.
- Plenty of white to the new extension, making it feel bright and welcoming.
Why do you think this project works so well?
It almost doubles the floor area of the home, and the living areas are now positioned at the rear northern side of the block to take advantage of the sun and backyard views.
Plus, the new kitchen, bathroom and ensuite improve the amenity and functionality of the house, and an extra bedroom has been gained.
Interior materials palette
Key fittings and fixtures
- Enhanced polished concrete terrazzo flooring to the new extension.
- Silestone quartz-blend benchtop in Eternal Statuario.
- Kitchen cabinets finished in two-pack polyurethane.
- Textured gloss subway tiles on the kitchen splashback from Marion Tile Centre.
Key fittings and fixtures
- Black powder-coated aluminium window frames with fixed glass and louvred sections from South Pacific Aluminium Windows and Doors.
- Beacon Lighting Marcel pendant lights above the kitchen island.
- Beacon Lighting black Aero fans in the living and dining areas.
- Oliveri kitchen tap and sink.
To Dance artwork by Prudence Caroline
Your turn
What elements impress you the most in this new extension? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Want to see more clever extensions? Don’t miss last week’s Perfect Mismatch: A Space-Age Pod Addition for a Heritage Home
Your turn
What elements impress you the most in this new extension? Tell us in the Comments, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Want to see more clever extensions? Don’t miss last week’s Perfect Mismatch: A Space-Age Pod Addition for a Heritage Home
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$200k - looks a bit plain on the outside for me, you could build a new house for that price or at least gain a 4th bedroom unless it's on a small site. I know the Adelaide climate so maybe some landscaping would help.
Great outcome with such budgets! light, cathedral ceiling amplified the space feeling, and large open plan.
What a fantastic outcome. A perfect family home, gimmick-free, timeless design. Well done to all involved.