Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: House on a Slope Turned Upside Down to Let Light In
Clever design solutions are just the ticket for a sloping site with little light
It was the unique challenge that came with refurbishing this family house in Kew, Victoria, that gave rise to its most interesting features. The site slopes down from the rear to the front, with the backyard higher than the front entry. The solution? The design team turned the house upside down by positioning the communal areas on the first floor (previously on the ground floor) and the private areas downstairs. This also made use of the different micro climate zones of the house – upstairs has easier access to natural light (great for living areas) while downstairs is easier to maintain a cooler temperature and is darker (ideal for bedrooms).
Now called ‘Skylight House’, the inclusion of skylights to make use of natural light has also been crucial to the home’s transformation. While the downstairs is modern, functional and stylish, the upstairs is the true heart of the house for the family who live here.
Now called ‘Skylight House’, the inclusion of skylights to make use of natural light has also been crucial to the home’s transformation. While the downstairs is modern, functional and stylish, the upstairs is the true heart of the house for the family who live here.
Upon entering the house, people are naturally drawn upstairs due to the natural light streaming through the skylight. The first level, with its open common areas, is the focus of the house. The three bedrooms with ensuites are downstairs.
The existing concrete staircase was retained with the stair void enlarged to allow more natural light to the ground floor. The homeowners love that the skylights make the common areas bright and inviting, and also give a cheerful vibe. Having three big cathedral style skylights means they can have the high ceiling effect without spending more money to build upwards or change the entire roof.
The existing concrete staircase was retained with the stair void enlarged to allow more natural light to the ground floor. The homeowners love that the skylights make the common areas bright and inviting, and also give a cheerful vibe. Having three big cathedral style skylights means they can have the high ceiling effect without spending more money to build upwards or change the entire roof.
On the upper level, the kitchen is the main hub of the home. The family spend most of their time gathering around the generous (and heated) island bench while eating meals or doing homework together.
The architects advised the homeowners against having overhead cupboards in the kitchen for a more open and uncluttered look. To compensate for this, a generously sized walk-in pantry with the joinery constructed with George Fethers timber veneer in ‘Nero’ was placed behind the kitchen to help with storage. “With secret doors that match the timber veneer joinery, the pantry is discrete and and adds an element of surprise,” says lead architect John Liu. A pull-out pantry cupboard next to the fridge was included for quick access to frequently used items.
The architects advised the homeowners against having overhead cupboards in the kitchen for a more open and uncluttered look. To compensate for this, a generously sized walk-in pantry with the joinery constructed with George Fethers timber veneer in ‘Nero’ was placed behind the kitchen to help with storage. “With secret doors that match the timber veneer joinery, the pantry is discrete and and adds an element of surprise,” says lead architect John Liu. A pull-out pantry cupboard next to the fridge was included for quick access to frequently used items.
The homeowners, who are very enthusiastic bakers, wanted to be able to see their kids playing outside from the kitchen.
The table bench around the kitchen island allows the homeowners to be a part of the family conversations while they cook, rather than feeling left out while the rest of the family bonds over the dining table.
They also find sitting at the bench sipping tea in winter while enjoying the view of the pool and garden very relaxing and therapeutic.
Benchtop in ‘Raven’ and ‘Snow’: Caesarstone
The table bench around the kitchen island allows the homeowners to be a part of the family conversations while they cook, rather than feeling left out while the rest of the family bonds over the dining table.
They also find sitting at the bench sipping tea in winter while enjoying the view of the pool and garden very relaxing and therapeutic.
Benchtop in ‘Raven’ and ‘Snow’: Caesarstone
The homeowners’ favourite part of the renovation are the soaring cathedral-like skylights that not only bring light in, but create space above without impacting on the roofline. Visually, the house now flows from room to room with the feature staircase leading directly to the open living areas lit up by the northern sun and featuring solid timber tallowwood floors with a Livos natural oil finish.
The feature skylights over the living area and stair void are made up of three individual skylights with tapered shafts. The shafts are angled to allow the morning sun in, while blocking the harsh afternoon sunlight. This creates a “lovely diffused lighting like that found in a museum,” says Liu.
The living areas were previously enclosed and dark. The homeowners’ dreams were of modernisation, space and light. They asked for minimalistic design and for the clever use of joinery to provide hidden space and storage, so as to avoid clutter.
The living areas were previously enclosed and dark. The homeowners’ dreams were of modernisation, space and light. They asked for minimalistic design and for the clever use of joinery to provide hidden space and storage, so as to avoid clutter.
This nook near the stairs is mostly used by the homeowners to store bags, bills and their kids’ calendars in close proximity to the kitchen. It also fulfils the need for a cupboard and small office without having to include a separate study.
The upstairs floor plan shows the openness created between the kitchen, living and dining room.
The project took about 12 months on the drawing board and 12 months in construction. ‘To knock down and start fresh or to renovate?’ was the constant question asked from the beginning. The homeowners were swayed to retain and rework the existing house for conservation reasons and for the environmental/cost benefit.
The project took about 12 months on the drawing board and 12 months in construction. ‘To knock down and start fresh or to renovate?’ was the constant question asked from the beginning. The homeowners were swayed to retain and rework the existing house for conservation reasons and for the environmental/cost benefit.
Past the kitchen toward the street front is the dining area. The house is on a no-through street with minimum traffic, so the dining area has a panoramic view of the mature lilly pilly directly in front of the house. While the family generally eat their everyday dinners around the kitchen island, the dining area is great for entertaining.
Moving past the dining area and kitchen to the rear of the house is the upstairs common bathroom. Its skylight above the shower provides ample natural lighting. The ensuites downstairs all follow the same design – full width mirrored cupboards and wall-hung basins for an uncluttered look.
The homeowners note that they get lots of positive comments on the upstairs bathroom from guests, who say how inviting it is.
Bathroom fixtures: Roger Seller; tiles: Earp Bros; lighting: Lights & Tracks; door hardwares: Designer Doorware; timber joinery pulls: Interia; wall and floor tile finish in Par-Ker ‘Tavola’ White: Earp Bros
The homeowners note that they get lots of positive comments on the upstairs bathroom from guests, who say how inviting it is.
Bathroom fixtures: Roger Seller; tiles: Earp Bros; lighting: Lights & Tracks; door hardwares: Designer Doorware; timber joinery pulls: Interia; wall and floor tile finish in Par-Ker ‘Tavola’ White: Earp Bros
Next to the bathroom is the laundry, with its view of the backyard. There is access to the terrace from the laundry and a drying room next to it. The pull-out drawers are for the family’s dirty clothes, with ‘White’, ‘Black’ and ‘Coloured’ labelled on each of the drawer fronts to keep clothing separated. No more T-shirts unintentionally turning from white to pink in the wash!
The living area is at the rear of the house, overlooking the terrace and backyard. The family enjoys spending time together here, watching TV and playing SingStar on Playstation. The interior design is by Aldona Pajdak.
Blinds and shading: Lovelight; furniture: Jardan and Curious Grace; custom-made outdoor table: Straw Brothers
Blinds and shading: Lovelight; furniture: Jardan and Curious Grace; custom-made outdoor table: Straw Brothers
The living area features skylights with tapered shafts to optimise diffused natural light without enlarging the opening too much (which would work against them in summer).
The terrace has been the ideal place for relaxed summer barbecues for the family. The kids also do craft activities here to keep the mess outside of the house – now there’s an idea! There is ample shade and breeze out here, too, and the view overlooking the pool helps the parents to keep an eye on the kids if they’re swimming.
The barbecue area helps the sheltered terrace come alive in summer. It was designed to read like an extension of the black joinery from inside when the bi-fold doors are open.
The stairs from the terrace take you straight down to the pool area. The outdoor pavilion cantilevers over the pool so the kids can jump straight in. The cantilever was designed so the pool cover roller could be neatly tucked away.
The outdoor pavilion was important to the homeowners to provide shade so they could enjoy the pool more frequently. It’s position and shape is designed to block out the harsh afternoon sun in summer. A new pool cover and solar heater was added to the existing pool to help minimise the running costs.
Downstairs, when they bought the house, the seven bedrooms were what the homeowners describe as the size of modern day closets. The solution to this was to change to three much larger bedrooms plus a guest room.
Two solar-powered ventilators were added to the roof. Apart from purging the hot air in the roof, these ventilators also extract hot air internally from the skylight shafts. Roof eaves were retained and new dual shading was added to windows for sun shade and total blockout.
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Two solar-powered ventilators were added to the roof. Apart from purging the hot air in the roof, these ventilators also extract hot air internally from the skylight shafts. Roof eaves were retained and new dual shading was added to windows for sun shade and total blockout.
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What do you like most about this home? Tell us in the Comments.
Who lives here: A young professional couple (both doctors) with their two children
Location: Kew, Victoria
Year/decade built: Original house was built in the ‘70s. The refurbishment was completed in 2015
Size: 490 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, deck and outdoor area
Architect: Inbetween Architecture
The owners, a young family of four, were clear on what they wanted from a renovation of this two level home on a sloping site. They asked their design team for more natural light, larger living spaces and bedrooms and updated amenities (without extending outwards). In contrast to the light and bright renovation that resulted, the pre-existing house had a ‘70s appearance, was very dark and the spaces were fragmented and visually disconnected.
The finished house includes three bedrooms with ensuites, a guest bedroom, open-plan living, dining and kitchen, a covered outdoor terrace, a study, two rumpus rooms, a bathroom, a cloak room, a laundry and a drying room. The renovation also included new external works such as front yard and backyard landscaping by Peachy Green and a new poolside pavilion. The existing structure of the house was strong, with slab floor ground and suspended slab for first floor, double brick walls and grade-A soil.