Houzz Tour: Perth Home in a Box is the Perfect Fit for Family of Five
A work-at-home couple creates an eye-catching renovation that works just as well for business as it does for pleasure
Chris Maher and Charlotte Kennedy run their architecture and interior design practice, Studio 53, from home and, with three children all heading into their teens, decided to extend and renovate their newly purchased but rundown workers cottage in Perth’s Subiaco before they moved in. “The house had been untouched for 90 years and was in desperate need of TLC,” Kennedy says.
The Arts and Crafts home sits on a relatively small block – 487 square metres – so the options were limited when it came to adding more space. Kennedy says she and her husband also wanted to respect and enhance the existing craftsmanship. The answer? A big yellow box.
The Arts and Crafts home sits on a relatively small block – 487 square metres – so the options were limited when it came to adding more space. Kennedy says she and her husband also wanted to respect and enhance the existing craftsmanship. The answer? A big yellow box.
What used to be a traditional, fairly unremarkable home from the street is now an eye-catching wonder that draws attention from passers by.
The upper-level addition stands out from the existing house by taking the form of a pure yellow ‘box’, placed on top of the ground floor behind the gable form of the existing home. The box is then further wrapped in a perforated screen to shade and protect it from the sun.
The upper-level addition stands out from the existing house by taking the form of a pure yellow ‘box’, placed on top of the ground floor behind the gable form of the existing home. The box is then further wrapped in a perforated screen to shade and protect it from the sun.
Internally, the box is its own zone, housing the children’s bedrooms, guest room and a bathroom. Externally, the box defines the character of the extension, highlighting the change from existing house to contemporary home in a “sympathetic but contrasting manner.” Kennedy says the biggest challenge of the project was working creatively within the strict policies of the local council.
The original tin awning on the front
of the existing house was resurrected with a coat of yellow paint to match the box.
The original tin awning on the front
of the existing house was resurrected with a coat of yellow paint to match the box.
In response to the original home’s humble Arts and Crafts heritage, Kennedy and Maher chose materials for their honesty and integrity.
Painted white brick walls, concrete, timber floors, grey terrazzo and recycled brick all contribute texture and warmth to the interiors.
Walter Knoll modular couch: Living Edge; Klein sideboard
Walter Knoll modular couch: Living Edge; Klein sideboard
The furniture is a mixture of original mid-century pieces and other pieces and artworks collected on various travels, including an Eames dining table and walnut timber chairs.
Bi-fold doors open up the kitchen and dining area to the outdoors, dramatically increasing the sense of space. An outdoor fireplace cosies up the space, and an undercover dining area by the pool can also be used as a garage when needed.
Bi-fold doors open up the kitchen and dining area to the outdoors, dramatically increasing the sense of space. An outdoor fireplace cosies up the space, and an undercover dining area by the pool can also be used as a garage when needed.
The library is tucked away in the extension that wraps around the courtyard and pool. While the rest of the house is designed for gathering with family and friends, this room is a sanctuary for time out.
“Throughout the design process, we re-used and recycled elements of the existing home to create a story of restoration,” Kennedy says. This included recycling bricks, light fittings, and even the old laundry trough, which is now a thriving herb garden.
Agnes shelving in ‘Walnut’: SCP
“Throughout the design process, we re-used and recycled elements of the existing home to create a story of restoration,” Kennedy says. This included recycling bricks, light fittings, and even the old laundry trough, which is now a thriving herb garden.
Agnes shelving in ‘Walnut’: SCP
“We are really enjoying our new home; it gives us all separate spaces and also provides us with zones to come together and be a family,” Kennedy says. “It gives us great joy every day.”
The Wolf oven and rangehood make a strong impact in an otherwise understated kitchen.
The Wolf oven and rangehood make a strong impact in an otherwise understated kitchen.
This drawing shows the thought that went into creating a variety of areas for togetherness and personal space.
The screen envelops the box on all sides. Inspiration for the pattern came from the floral motif of the original carpet and fireplace tiles. “The screen provides visual richness, shade and protection to openings while offering opportunities for passive surveillance of the street,” Kennedy says.
At night, interior lighting illuminates the screen, its glow providing moments of joy for the neighbourhood.
At night, interior lighting illuminates the screen, its glow providing moments of joy for the neighbourhood.
Strategically placed louvred windows catch breezes and provide cross-ventilation. The home also incorporates double-glazed skylights in the upper and lower roofs that can be programmed to open and close at different times of the day, allowing the house to breathe naturally.
Double glazing, a light palette and significant cavity and ceiling insulation ensures the home is cool in summer and warm in winter. The home also conserves energy because it’s separated into living zones rather than open-plan expanses of space.
Double glazing, a light palette and significant cavity and ceiling insulation ensures the home is cool in summer and warm in winter. The home also conserves energy because it’s separated into living zones rather than open-plan expanses of space.
To the rear of the existing home, Kennedy and Maher constructed a ground-floor extension by a landscaped courtyard.
Building to two boundaries and focusing the new ground floor rooms into the courtyard helped create and blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. “The intent was to provide multiple spaces of differing character to be used at different times of the year – some inside, some outside,” Kennedy says.
The lower-level flat roof overhangs the courtyard windows, protecting them from the summer sun. The flat roofs of the extension also provide excellent platforms for gas-boosted solar hot water systems, photo voltaic cells and a future roof garden.
Building to two boundaries and focusing the new ground floor rooms into the courtyard helped create and blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. “The intent was to provide multiple spaces of differing character to be used at different times of the year – some inside, some outside,” Kennedy says.
The lower-level flat roof overhangs the courtyard windows, protecting them from the summer sun. The flat roofs of the extension also provide excellent platforms for gas-boosted solar hot water systems, photo voltaic cells and a future roof garden.
The green tiles used in the kitchen make another appearance in the upstairs bathroom and are in keeping with the mid-century feel of the home.
Tapware: Vola; tiles: Heath Ceramics; Roger Foster basins for Duravit: Sea of White
Tapware: Vola; tiles: Heath Ceramics; Roger Foster basins for Duravit: Sea of White
Timber warms up an otherwise neutral palette in the upstairs bedrooms. Each child was also allowed to paint their bedroom door in their current favourite colour.
The main bedroom is in the original part of the house, and includes an ensuite and dressing room.
Who lives here: Designers Chris Maher and Charlotte Kennedy with their three children Ruby, 14, Rafferty, 12, and Tess, 9
Location: Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 powder rooms, with 2 main living zones separated by the kitchen/dining area