Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Raising the Roof Helps an Old House Sing
Reimagining a Victorian terrace has enhanced its heritage good looks and given a family of four much-needed room to move
After living in their 130-year-old home for a decade before renovating – and having two children along the way – the owners had come to love not only this house, but the community in which they lived. They were clear about what they wanted from the renovation, requesting that architect Michael Montgomery increase their home’s heritage appeal inside and out. They also wanted more light, a flexible layout and to have the choice of living areas upstairs and down, depending on the season. “They wanted a space to come together as a family, entertain and work from home, be connected or, if they choose to, escape for privacy,” Montgomery says.
Given the narrow proportions of this Victorian terrace, such a detailed brief was no small ask.
Given the narrow proportions of this Victorian terrace, such a detailed brief was no small ask.
Who would know that a modern extension – stepped on the southern side to minimise overshadowing of the neighbour’s backyard – lies at the rear of the home? Spotted-gum timber battens define the rear facade, and the cantilevered upper storey protects the ground floor from the elements, even allowing for barbecuing in the rain.
A rooftop renovation was one of the most challenging aspects of the design and build, particularly when the roof was removed and the structural engineer announced the chimney would need extra support. “We needed to work out how to stabilise it without it looking ugly,” Montgomery says.
Now, this incredible surprise sits on the rooftop; an outdoor entertaining area. Here, a bar was designed to act as bracing for the chimney, and doubles as a table for a seating area.
“Being able to convince the council that a roof deck behind the original parapet would have no impact on the street-front views was really satisfying,” Montgomery says. “It’s my favourite part of the house; it really makes the house sing.”
“Being able to convince the council that a roof deck behind the original parapet would have no impact on the street-front views was really satisfying,” Montgomery says. “It’s my favourite part of the house; it really makes the house sing.”
“The clients loved the original house because of the period features, and they wanted to make the most of them,” Montgomery says. “Often that means cleaning up the facade and front rooms and that’s all you get to appreciate from inside. This was an opportunity to be able to appreciate the old charm and details of the roof when you’re inside, by getting up close to the back side of the facade and walking around the chimney.”
Axon Cladding: James Hardie
Axon Cladding: James Hardie
The silvertop ash roof deck adjoins a room that can work either as a fourth bedroom or as a family room. “The roof deck adds almost the same outdoor space as the rear courtyard – a massive gain on such a small footprint for an inner-city house,” Montgomery says.
The home runs roughly east-to-west, and maximises every bit of available space on the narrow site.
The original entry hallway needed restoring, but the owners wanted to retain and even highlight its heritage features.
A frosted-glass door at the end of the hallway hints at the contemporary updates within as well as bringing in extra light. Updated flooring and a new polished Venetian plaster finish reflects light and amplifies it through the hallway.
The front hallway and bedrooms now feature timber floorboards reclaimed from an old pier in the Victorian holiday town of Barwon Heads. “The clients were going to reuse the original pine boards but they were in average condition,” Montgomery says.
Floorboards: Historical Timber Floors
The front hallway and bedrooms now feature timber floorboards reclaimed from an old pier in the Victorian holiday town of Barwon Heads. “The clients were going to reuse the original pine boards but they were in average condition,” Montgomery says.
Floorboards: Historical Timber Floors
Ample natural light enters the home through generously sized upstairs windows and stacking doors that open the downstairs living area to the rear courtyard. Deep steel box window reveals enhance privacy and provide shade.
Timber flooring in the original home gives way to a burnished concrete floor at the rear. The slab was extended into the outdoor living/dining area for a seamless connection between inside and out.
A staircase creates a natural separation between the kitchen/dining area and living zone. “The staircase carves out the middle of the house to create volume, improves penetration of light and encourages airflow,” Montgomery says.
Sofa, armchair and coffee table: Great Dane Furniture
Sofa, armchair and coffee table: Great Dane Furniture
Storage has been built in all over the house – under stairs, in corners, and at high and low heights inside and outside. “Storage is part of the architecture and not an afterthought,” Montgomery says. The stairs, for example, are designed to be part of the kitchen on one side and part of the lounge on the other.
While the kitchen side of the stairs houses a ‘step-in’ pantry in the corner and wine store under the lower end, the lounge side has a series of doors under every two steps, plus two large drawers at the base. As well as containing the usual living room clutter, the joinery conceals the home entertainment and serves as a tech hub for the TV, and a built-in wireless audio system installed throughout the house.
At the very end of the stairs is an ‘invisible’ pivot door designed to look like joinery. It opens to a small airlock that leads to the powder room located behind the kitchen. “This was a way of adding privacy to the bathroom as well as removing the thought that the bathroom opens up onto a living room,” Montgomery says. “In a footprint this small every space gets used, so the airlock houses a linen cupboard as well as the switchboard and PV cell inverter.”
While the kitchen side of the stairs houses a ‘step-in’ pantry in the corner and wine store under the lower end, the lounge side has a series of doors under every two steps, plus two large drawers at the base. As well as containing the usual living room clutter, the joinery conceals the home entertainment and serves as a tech hub for the TV, and a built-in wireless audio system installed throughout the house.
At the very end of the stairs is an ‘invisible’ pivot door designed to look like joinery. It opens to a small airlock that leads to the powder room located behind the kitchen. “This was a way of adding privacy to the bathroom as well as removing the thought that the bathroom opens up onto a living room,” Montgomery says. “In a footprint this small every space gets used, so the airlock houses a linen cupboard as well as the switchboard and PV cell inverter.”
Part of the brief was for selected materials to have durability, solidity and texture. “The overall material palette is about texture, natural finishes and surfaces that express the artisan touch,” Montgomery says. In a hope-for-the-best move, the existing hard render was stripped back to expose the original brick walls. “The bricks are amazing as there are no two bricks that look the same,” Montgomery says. “I have a feeling it was a wall worked on over many years as there are all types of bricks that would have been used at different time periods.”
“At the demolition stage there was much discussion about whitewashing the bricks, which was the clients’ original preference,” Montgomery says. “I suggested we make the call once the entire space was finished, as they would see how the bricks would then pop; I knew they wouldn’t paint them once they saw them cleaned up.”
A round table and pendant light provide some welcome contrast against the straight lines and hard angles of the walls, windows and doors.
Dining table: Mark Tuckey; Weplight Renata 80 pendant: ECC Lighting
“At the demolition stage there was much discussion about whitewashing the bricks, which was the clients’ original preference,” Montgomery says. “I suggested we make the call once the entire space was finished, as they would see how the bricks would then pop; I knew they wouldn’t paint them once they saw them cleaned up.”
A round table and pendant light provide some welcome contrast against the straight lines and hard angles of the walls, windows and doors.
Dining table: Mark Tuckey; Weplight Renata 80 pendant: ECC Lighting
White two-pack polyurethane joinery and steel-framed windows and doors set off the exposed brick walls, which are also reflected in the mirrored splashback. Timber wall cladding adds another layer of colour and texture to the kitchen, while Elba marble benchtops bring in a touch of luxe.
Appliances: Miele; black Schock Double Bowl sink and Tink D tap: Abey; joinery: Starcourt Joinery
Appliances: Miele; black Schock Double Bowl sink and Tink D tap: Abey; joinery: Starcourt Joinery
Exposing the floor joists over the kitchen created challenges for the architect because there was no ceiling connecting front to back. Multiple individual bulkhead units were required to house air-conditioning ducting. The stair treads align with the joinery cupboards on the integrated fridge and pantry door.
Montgomery says he’s proud the project achieved the three things it set out to do: to highlight the heritage features and celebrate them in a modern context; to bring light into the body of the house (“a difficult thing in terrace houses”); and to create a family home in a small footprint “so the clients can stay where they love
to live and grow into the house”.
to live and grow into the house”.
Large sliding panels conceal a laundry on the landing at the top of the stairs.
Harper & Sandilands ‘White Smoked’ flooring: Royal Oak Floors
A mid-level landing that sits above the downstairs powder room houses the study nook. Flooded with natural light, it is an inviting space that is private, yet connected to the ground-floor living areas/
In the master bedroom, the exterior timber slat screen filters the light and gives the homeowners a sense of privacy.
New joinery in the kids’ bedroom (located in the original part of the house) incorporates a loft play space over the wardrobe.
Brokis Memory ceiling and wall lights: Huset Design Store
Brokis Memory ceiling and wall lights: Huset Design Store
The same Venetian plaster used to restore the walls of the original house reappears in the upstairs bathroom. A contemporary colour and material palette brings warmth and style to the space.
Metropolis Range tapware: Astra Walker; tiles: Perini Tiles
Metropolis Range tapware: Astra Walker; tiles: Perini Tiles
While the home has been designed to maximise natural light and ventilation coming in, at night the opposite is true – the house glows from the inside out.
Tell us
What do you love best about this home? Tell us why in the Comments. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation below.
Tell us
What do you love best about this home? Tell us why in the Comments. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation below.
Who lives here: A couple, Cassie and Paul, and their two young daughters
Location: Fitzroy North, Victoria
Size: 255 square metres of floor space, 211-square-metre site; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and a powder room
Architect: MMAD Architecture
Photographer: Jack Lovel
A heritage overlay meant the facade of this home could be restored but not altered, in order to maintain the historical streetscape. Passers-by are none the wiser that the interior, rooftop and rear of the house now have a contemporary twist.