Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Edwardian Home Upsizes With Inside-Outside Living in Mind
This Edwardian weatherboard sits in perfect contrast to its modern extension and reshapes to maximise open-plan living
Bill and Christine McCorkell purchased their home in 2010 with every intention of renovating. Not only had the original Edwardian weatherboard home undergone an ill-favoured ’80s renovation, but the family of four (not including the rabbit and lizard) needed the extra space. They decided to build an additional storey to accommodate extra bedrooms and bathrooms … but didn’t stop there. The transformation was extensive: the front of the house was left as is, but rooms were remodelled and tweaked to bring the home’s style into the modern, all while maintaining period details, such as the high ceiling, ceiling roses and cornices. As you move further into the home, the space subtly shifts to a more contemporary style with polished concrete floors and honed block walls.
With sustainable principles, form and function in mind, the McCorkells wanted to create a home with personality – one that was beautiful, refined and playful all at the same time. “We love the ease and beauty of the home, and especially the way it integrates the outside in,” says Bill.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Bill McCorkell, owner and architectural director of ArchiBlox, Christine McCorkell, who manages the company’s marketing, their children Harriet and Sam, George the rabbit and Toby the lizard
Location: Balaclava, 7km from Melbourne’s CBD and a short stroll from St Kilda
Size: 160 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, library, 2 living areas, kitchen and dining area, and play area
With sustainable principles, form and function in mind, the McCorkells wanted to create a home with personality – one that was beautiful, refined and playful all at the same time. “We love the ease and beauty of the home, and especially the way it integrates the outside in,” says Bill.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Bill McCorkell, owner and architectural director of ArchiBlox, Christine McCorkell, who manages the company’s marketing, their children Harriet and Sam, George the rabbit and Toby the lizard
Location: Balaclava, 7km from Melbourne’s CBD and a short stroll from St Kilda
Size: 160 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, library, 2 living areas, kitchen and dining area, and play area
From the street exterior, the transformation goes almost unnoticed.
From the back of the house, however, the transformation is clear, with a distinct extension that contrasts the original weatherboard. The rear of the garden endeavours to capture the essence of the block with a park-like setting. “It’s a surprise and quite the novelty, contrasting the surrounding built form,” says Bill.
Seamless inside-outside living is achieved with a layout that captures every opportunity for external views, either out to the garden or over the adjoining properties’ roofs. Sliding windows open to the rear, providing optimum natural light, which also bounces off and warms the polished concrete floor.
Daybeds transform the kitchen from a singular, task-driven space to a multi-purpose zone that you can also unwind in. “With the morning sun on your back, it’s a pretty special place to read and have a cuppa,” says Bill.
Daybeds transform the kitchen from a singular, task-driven space to a multi-purpose zone that you can also unwind in. “With the morning sun on your back, it’s a pretty special place to read and have a cuppa,” says Bill.
Bill and Christine designed many elements in the kitchen with recessed joinery for the placement of all those items in constant use. The black Caesarstone benchtop, for example, has a recessed heavy-duty timber chopping board.
The most recent addition to the kitchen is the Thermomix.
Patricia Urquiola Last Minute stools: Hub Furniture
The most recent addition to the kitchen is the Thermomix.
Patricia Urquiola Last Minute stools: Hub Furniture
Tucked in a corner nook is the butler’s pantry, which helps conceal everything else. Look up and you’ll notice the slant in the ceiling – that’s because this smart set-up utilises the awkward space under the stairs.
Polished concrete floors in the dining and kitchen area are set against honed concrete block walls, which reinforces that seamless inside-outside connection.
The block walls carry past the ceiling level and into a void beyond the skylight that runs the length of the space. Natural light spills in, opening up and softening this side of the home.
The contrasting ceiling is lined with staggered plywood panels; joints are emphasised with a black textile that is recessed between the panels.
A vibrant piece of art by Ali McNabney Stevens complements the concrete and timber in the room.
A vibrant piece of art by Ali McNabney Stevens complements the concrete and timber in the room.
From the outside, notice the recessed black lines in the grout of the concrete blocks and the timber panels on the upper level. This is a running theme throughout the house, also used in the grouting of the tiles in the wet room.
Every design element is consciously linked to one another, alongside a layout that is free-flowing and functional. As Bill says, “It incorporates order into what we all know as busy, crazy lives.”
Every design element is consciously linked to one another, alongside a layout that is free-flowing and functional. As Bill says, “It incorporates order into what we all know as busy, crazy lives.”
From the side exterior, you can see the fluid connection between the original home and new extension.
Despite the open-plan layout, ‘compartment’ style living manages to create intimacy in all those big, open spaces. The kitchen, for example, spills out to the dining and separate living area, so no one is ever ‘disconnected’ from one another, but still gives you scope to get away from it all. It really is the best of best worlds… “We wanted to be able to retreat from the children, and vice versa, but keep that connection and family interaction,” says Bill.
Large windows open out to the BBQ area, and provide a lovely leafy aspect from the couch. The children like to use the family room to watch TV or play their Wii games.
While the brickwork feature in this room creates interest, there are plans to turn it into a fireplace later down the track.
Cockatoo box: Bonnie and Neil; Lineare A pendant light: About Space
Large windows open out to the BBQ area, and provide a lovely leafy aspect from the couch. The children like to use the family room to watch TV or play their Wii games.
While the brickwork feature in this room creates interest, there are plans to turn it into a fireplace later down the track.
Cockatoo box: Bonnie and Neil; Lineare A pendant light: About Space
The family room makes a statement from afar with this custom built ArchiBlox clear-fill plywood bookshelf, which can be seen through the expansive windows as you approach the entrance of the house. Simple but effective, “it makes a real feature and adds the finishing touch to our home,” says Bill.
The elaborate shelving space makes room for family photos and arbitrary objects, while the colour-blocking of books adds a highly effective design element. It is also one of Bill’s favourite features in the home.
The elaborate shelving space makes room for family photos and arbitrary objects, while the colour-blocking of books adds a highly effective design element. It is also one of Bill’s favourite features in the home.
The study embraces multi-purpose functionality with a design that is neither work nor leisure focused. Bill and Christine use it mostly for work, to practise music and for meditation.
There is plenty of built-in joinery in this room, from the clear-fill plywood bookshelf, study desk and shelves to the storage unit.
An impeding outside wall has the potential to close in the space and make the large window almost redundant, but a clever lattice wall feature manages to create the illusion of a distant scene. It not only opens up the space, but adds a tranquil quality to the room.
The lattice wall feature was part of the original house and was only discovered once the vines were cut back. “It’s one of the reasons we made such a big window; to be able to look at the lattice from inside the house,” says Bill.
The lattice wall feature was part of the original house and was only discovered once the vines were cut back. “It’s one of the reasons we made such a big window; to be able to look at the lattice from inside the house,” says Bill.
Just above the pantry and store area, a 1.2-metre-wide staircase leads you upstairs to a ‘learning corridor’ – a signature ArchiBlox feature – that adjoins two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The ‘learning corridor’ makes the most of what would usually be a void area and is personalised with the kids’ toys. It also creates more space from Mum and Dad, so the kids don’t always have to retreat to their bedrooms when seeking alone time.
“The flow and functionality provides an enhanced style of living with set designated areas. Kids’ zones, adult zones, family zones; there is a place for everything,” says Bill.
“The flow and functionality provides an enhanced style of living with set designated areas. Kids’ zones, adult zones, family zones; there is a place for everything,” says Bill.
The box-like compartment in the main bedroom is a walk-in wardrobe, which provides the room with a fun timber feature and flows through to a beautiful ensuite. “It’s a great functional space that looks cool too,” says Bill. The box is built from Tasmanian Oak.
Sandi quilt cover and pillow slips: Country Road
A timber shelf is tactically placed in the white-tiled bathroom, adding warmth and texture to a monochrome scheme. Aesop hand cream and a Glasshouse candle break it up with a splash of orange.
Basin: Reece; tiles: National Tiles
Basin: Reece; tiles: National Tiles