Architecture
8 Traditional Red Brick Villas That Burst Out of the Box
Be inspired by these design ideas from the bold to the urbane and the very beautiful
These gorgeous red-brick villas deserve respect. After all, they were built to last. But like many dear old things, they need a bit of help to keep up with the times. The fact is, old floor plans just don’t have all the space required for modern living, or tick the requisite desire list – open plan, indoor-outdoor, internal garage access, etc. And lean-to tack-ons of decades past offer no long-term solution.
Clever new ways are emerging that go to prove that heritage doesn’t have to hold you back if you have great design sensibility. Here are some of our favourites.
Clever new ways are emerging that go to prove that heritage doesn’t have to hold you back if you have great design sensibility. Here are some of our favourites.
2. Out boxed
The slate hue of the contemporary form that’s been added to the left of this pretty property in Melbourne’s Malvern ensures the addition blends in, while its square approach allows it to make its own mark on the skyline.
The slate hue of the contemporary form that’s been added to the left of this pretty property in Melbourne’s Malvern ensures the addition blends in, while its square approach allows it to make its own mark on the skyline.
And out the back, a different feel altogether has been created. You’d never know you were living in a heritage street.
However, this done-up Malvern villa is still in keeping with the ethos of the olden days – to build attractively in a manner future generations might appreciate. Apply thoughtful design and craftsmanship, and you can have forms just as alluring as the ones you started with.
Take a closer look inside this home.
Take a closer look inside this home.
3. Time traveller
This very grand old home in the Melbourne suburb of Kew illustrates the point that the old can flow into the new with grace. Beyond those French doors there’s an indoor basketball court and dedicated home theatre, as well as the usual must-have mod cons.
See more photos of this project.
This very grand old home in the Melbourne suburb of Kew illustrates the point that the old can flow into the new with grace. Beyond those French doors there’s an indoor basketball court and dedicated home theatre, as well as the usual must-have mod cons.
See more photos of this project.
4. Best of both worlds
This little charmer in Melbourne’s Fitzroy North barely hints at what lies behind, with a peek of the new extension on the roofline seeming to continue the pattern established long ago.
This little charmer in Melbourne’s Fitzroy North barely hints at what lies behind, with a peek of the new extension on the roofline seeming to continue the pattern established long ago.
What awaits is a surprise. This property has been stepped up with contemporary lines that work on this narrow block without impacting on the filigreed, meandering line of this quaint squat row of cottages.
See more angles on this one.
See more angles on this one.
5. Grace reflected
Working off the ideas of the original design is a lovely approach that makes the rear of this recently-done Dulwich Hill home in Sydney just as nice as its public face. And with bones like these to inspire to, it’s sure to be a landscape gardener’s delight.
Have a look at the detailing.
Working off the ideas of the original design is a lovely approach that makes the rear of this recently-done Dulwich Hill home in Sydney just as nice as its public face. And with bones like these to inspire to, it’s sure to be a landscape gardener’s delight.
Have a look at the detailing.
6. Inside wonders
An extension to a red-brick stunner in Melbourne’s Camberwell creates all the space that modern family life thrives upon, while the interior decor is a touchstone to the past.
Take a look around this home.
An extension to a red-brick stunner in Melbourne’s Camberwell creates all the space that modern family life thrives upon, while the interior decor is a touchstone to the past.
Take a look around this home.
7. Tucked away
You could be forgiven for not noticing this urbane extension in Middle Park, Melbourne. The chimneys and rooftop finery remain the dominant force in the street view, and the established foliage is a great obscurer.
You could be forgiven for not noticing this urbane extension in Middle Park, Melbourne. The chimneys and rooftop finery remain the dominant force in the street view, and the established foliage is a great obscurer.
However, the back of this house opens out, and up and down, to add on what today’s owners required. An exposed brick wall is a clever way to speak to the heritage and rusticate the sleek new rooms.
Explore this extension.
Explore this extension.
8. Laneway advantage
This semi-detached old-world home in Sydney’s Abbotsford backs onto the kind of rear access that is coveted in the Inner West. Not just because parking is at a premium, but it’s also easier to update garaging when it’s not altering the streetscape.
This semi-detached old-world home in Sydney’s Abbotsford backs onto the kind of rear access that is coveted in the Inner West. Not just because parking is at a premium, but it’s also easier to update garaging when it’s not altering the streetscape.
Plus the laneway opens up the path for a design that’s two-faced in its approach (and both faces are nice to meet). The home’s more youthful side befits the funky, communal way this back lane has been developed.
See more photos of this project.
See more photos of this project.
The new echoes the old in the remaking of this home in Melbourne. So, why is your eye so pleased with what it sees? Well, it’s not just because we’d all be glad to have a glamorous pool setting. It’s due to the well-honed design elements that match the architectural form of the outdoor dining extension with the old-style white pattern around the window.
See more photos of this lovely home.