A Poky, Light-Starved Victorian Home Gets a New, Sunny Addition
A smart reno retained the elegant, double-fronted facade of this Victorian home while adding light and space at the rear
Georgia Madden
22 May 2020
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Anthony Chan, director at Chan Architecture, reveals how he transformed a dark, awkwardly laid out Victorian terrace into a bright and spacious family home with contemporary touches – all while respecting the home’s history.
Images by Tatjana Plitt
Answers by Anthony Chan, director at Chan Architecture
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Hawthorn East, Victoria
Size of the original house: 140 square metres
Size of the new extension: 110 square metres
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms originally: Four bedrooms and one bathroom.
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Architect: Anthony Chan, director at Chan Architecture
Builder: Builders of Architecture
Structural engineer: Wright Design
Answers by Anthony Chan, director at Chan Architecture
Who lives here: A couple with two young children
Location: Hawthorn East, Victoria
Size of the original house: 140 square metres
Size of the new extension: 110 square metres
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms originally: Four bedrooms and one bathroom.
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
Architect: Anthony Chan, director at Chan Architecture
Builder: Builders of Architecture
Structural engineer: Wright Design
The front of the house before works
Describe the original house
A single-storey, double-fronted Victorian terrace with four bedrooms and one bathroom.
Is this the year you take the plunge? Find an architect near you on Houzz and start the renovation conversation
Describe the original house
A single-storey, double-fronted Victorian terrace with four bedrooms and one bathroom.
Is this the year you take the plunge? Find an architect near you on Houzz and start the renovation conversation
Gained
- A new 110-square-metre, two-storey rear extension housing a new open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, butler’s pantry and laundry on the ground floor, and a master bedroom, ensuite, study and parents’ retreat on the first floor.
- A second living area (situated in the new extension).
- Two extra bathrooms.
- A laundry.
- A butler’s pantry.
- A carport.
The rear of the house before works
What problem did this project address?
The original kitchen, living room and dining room were small, dark and divided. There was also no separation between the parents’ area and the children’s rooms.
How does the new work address these problems?
It added new spaces and repurposed existing rooms to fulfil the brief, all within the constraints of budget and council requirements.
What problem did this project address?
The original kitchen, living room and dining room were small, dark and divided. There was also no separation between the parents’ area and the children’s rooms.
How does the new work address these problems?
It added new spaces and repurposed existing rooms to fulfil the brief, all within the constraints of budget and council requirements.
The floor plan after works
What was the client’s brief?
To retain the front of the house and add a new kitchen, dining area, living room, butler’s pantry and laundry. Upstairs was to have a new master bedroom, ensuite, walk-in wardrobe and parents’ retreat.
What were their must-haves?
What was the client’s brief?
To retain the front of the house and add a new kitchen, dining area, living room, butler’s pantry and laundry. Upstairs was to have a new master bedroom, ensuite, walk-in wardrobe and parents’ retreat.
What were their must-haves?
- A spacious, light-filled kitchen.
- A large, walk-in wardrobe to the master bedroom.
- A beautiful master ensuite.
The kitchen before works
What exactly did you do?
What exactly did you do?
- We retained and restored the four original period rooms at the front of the house as they were a good size and had high ceilings and some nice period features, such as cornices, ceiling roses and fireplaces.
- To make the rooms more functional we added wardrobes, new carpet and hydronic heating panels.
- We converted the original fourth bedroom into two bathrooms.
- We added a new, double-storey rear extension housing an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, butler’s pantry and laundry on the ground floor, and a master bedroom, ensuite, study and parents’ retreat on the first floor.
To keep the home’s running costs down, the architect replaced the old windows with double-glazed ones and also used them for the windows in the new section; he also specified insulation to the walls, floors and roof cavities
What was the budget?
Around $900,000.
Where did most of it go?
On the new rear addition.
What was the budget?
Around $900,000.
Where did most of it go?
On the new rear addition.
What challenges did you have to work around?
One of the main challenges when extending houses on long sites is how to bring natural light into spaces that are not at the rear of the building.
We overcame this by introducing an internal courtyard to the centre of the building that brings light into the hallway, stairs and downstairs bathroom.
We also added a large feature skylight to the kitchen as this was going to be one of the most-used areas of the house.
One of the main challenges when extending houses on long sites is how to bring natural light into spaces that are not at the rear of the building.
We overcame this by introducing an internal courtyard to the centre of the building that brings light into the hallway, stairs and downstairs bathroom.
We also added a large feature skylight to the kitchen as this was going to be one of the most-used areas of the house.
The hallway before works
Were there any heritage constraints?
Yes, there were heritage controls on the site, which meant that the extension had to be visually recessive and respect the character of the existing house.
Our approach was to retain the front four rooms and add a new extension to the rear connected via a ‘link’ that contains the main circulation spaces.
Were there any heritage constraints?
Yes, there were heritage controls on the site, which meant that the extension had to be visually recessive and respect the character of the existing house.
Our approach was to retain the front four rooms and add a new extension to the rear connected via a ‘link’ that contains the main circulation spaces.
How did you marry the old and new parts of this house?
The old and new parts of the house are connected via a ‘link’ where the stairs and light well are located. This creates a distinct spatial and visual break between the two areas and clearly delineates the modern extension while still respecting the period part of the house.
The old and new parts of the house are connected via a ‘link’ where the stairs and light well are located. This creates a distinct spatial and visual break between the two areas and clearly delineates the modern extension while still respecting the period part of the house.
The architect incorporated as much built-in storage as possible into the new design, tailoring each piece to suit what it needed to store
A window seat opposite the internal courtyard creates a cosy space for quiet moments
Why do you think this house works so well now?
Every space has been well-considered – not just in terms of floor space, but also in terms of scale and level of intimacy depending on use.
Why do you think this house works so well now?
Every space has been well-considered – not just in terms of floor space, but also in terms of scale and level of intimacy depending on use.
The timber exterior slats on the first floor at the rear of the house are made of Western Red Cedar; they provide privacy to the master bedroom and add colour and warmth to the rear facade
How much work did you do to the front of the house?
Quite a bit as the facade was in poor shape when we came onboard. We rebuilt the timber deck, replaced the posts, windows, guttering and roofing. We also repainted it.
How much work did you do to the front of the house?
Quite a bit as the facade was in poor shape when we came onboard. We rebuilt the timber deck, replaced the posts, windows, guttering and roofing. We also repainted it.
Key features
- A bright and spacious kitchen.
- Steel-framed doors leading to the backyard.
- Feature timber battens on the rear facade giving warmth and colour.
- A good balance of materials and finishes.
Interior materials palette
Interior fixtures
Exterior materials palette
Paint colours
- CDK Stone Estatuario Silk Finish to the kitchen splashback.
- Two-pack polyurethane paint finish in Dulux Whisper White to the kitchen cabinetry.
- Elton Group Evenex timber veneer in Persian Walnut to kitchen island facing and living-room joinery.
- Laminex black shadow lines.
- National Tiles Finger Mosaic in Matt White tiles to bathroom walls.
- Beaumont Tiles Maximo Grey Porcelain tiles to bathroom floors.
- G-Lux Grey Aether Marble slab to bathroom benchtop.
Interior fixtures
- Commercial-grade, aluminium-framed windows.
- Steel-framed doors.
- Caroma Aura back-to-wall freestanding bath in master ensuite.
Exterior materials palette
- Western Red Cedar battens.
- Austral Elements Zinc brickwork.
Paint colours
- Dulux Heifer used on front exterior walls; Dulux Casper White Quarter used on exterior trims.
- Dulux Blue Lobelia High Gloss to the front door.
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature here? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Itching to see more transformative renovations? Don’t miss this great Project of the Week: A Time-Warp Townhouse Gets a Bright & Breezy Makeover
What’s your favourite feature here? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Itching to see more transformative renovations? Don’t miss this great Project of the Week: A Time-Warp Townhouse Gets a Bright & Breezy Makeover
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push me pull me. I can't see any connection, architecturally, between the front and the rear of the house. To each his own, obviously, but to me it's just odd.
I love this actually. This house gives a surprise element from old to new. I like a wow factor in homes and this would be one of them. Great work in utilising your space and definitely storage for your growing family. Two thumbs up 👍👍
I think they’re very clever and have the best of both worlds. A heritage home (maintaining original features) in an established area living in a smart modern home and doubling their space for the kids to grow in to. Beautifully completed build/landscaping with simple clever spaces and flow. Well done.