Periscope House draws light into a young family’s home, adding thoughtful solutions and flexible spaces to 1950s Art Deco foundations. Our clients engaged us to undertake a considered extension to their character-rich home in Malvern East. They wanted to celebrate their home’s history while adapting it to the needs of their family, and future-proofing it for decades to come. The extension’s form meets with and continues the existing roofline, politely emerging at the rear of the house. The tones of the original white render and red brick are reflected in the extension, informing its white Colorbond exterior and selective pops of red throughout. Inside, the original home’s layout has been reimagined to better suit a growing family. Once closed-in formal dining and lounge rooms were converted into children’s bedrooms, supplementing the main bedroom and a versatile fourth room. Grouping these rooms together has created a subtle definition of zones: private spaces are nestled to the front, while the rear extension opens up to shared living areas. A tailored response to the site, the extension’s ground floor addresses the western back garden, and first floor (AKA the periscope) faces the northern sun. Sitting above the open plan living areas, the periscope is a mezzanine that nimbly sidesteps the harsh afternoon light synonymous with a western facing back yard. It features a solid wall to the west and a glass wall to the north, emulating the rotation of a periscope to draw gentle light into the extension. Beneath the mezzanine, the kitchen, dining, living and outdoor spaces effortlessly overlap. Also accessible via an informal back door for friends and family, this generous communal area provides our clients with the functionality, spatial cohesion and connection to the outdoors they were missing. Melding modern and heritage elements, Periscope House honours the history of our clients’ home while creating light-filled shared spaces – all through a periscopic lens that opens the home to the garden.

Design ideas for a traditional family room in Brisbane with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Beach style family room in Indianapolis with blue walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Two-story walls of glass wash the main floor and loft with natural light and open up the views to one of two golf courses. The home's modernistic design won Drewett Works a Gold Nugget award in 2021. The Village at Seven Desert Mountain—Scottsdale Architecture: Drewett Works Builder: Cullum Homes Interiors: Ownby Design Landscape: Greey | Pickett Photographer: Dino Tonn https://www.drewettworks.com/the-model-home-at-village-at-seven-desert-mountain/

FineCraft Contractors, Inc. Harrison Design
Small modern loft-style family room in DC Metro with a home bar, beige walls, slate floors, a wall-mounted tv, multi-coloured floor, vaulted and planked wall panelling.

RVP Photography
Country open concept family room in Cincinnati with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Photo of a large contemporary open concept family room in Dallas with white walls, light hardwood floors, beige floor, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Inspiration for a beach style enclosed family room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

We designed the Birmingham Showhouse family room to include the characteristics of the Arts and Crafts style through the use of organic materials, with a hand-made quality. There is also slight Japanese aesthetic running through the design. It was designed to be a warm, comfortable place for the entire family to spend time in. For example, we designed the bookcases with integral, pull-out desks, allowing the room to serve many functions. The color palate is warm neutrals, with interest being added by using many textures and punches of geometric pattern. Of note, is the fireplace surround clad in patinated steel plate with rivets, the custom cow-hide herringbone rug, the drapery hardware made from copper plumbing pipe, and the antique Thai teak log trestle table. The custom ceiling light anchors the space, while the wall light swings to the desk area as needed.

Inspiration for a modern family room in San Francisco with beige walls and a wall-mounted tv.

This contemporary beauty features a 3D porcelain tile wall with the TV and propane fireplace built in. The glass shelves are clear, starfire glass so they appear blue instead of green.

The owners of this property had been away from the Bay Area for many years, and looked forward to returning to an elegant mid-century modern house. The one they bought was anything but that. Faced with a “remuddled” kitchen from one decade, a haphazard bedroom / family room addition from another, and an otherwise disjointed and generally run-down mid-century modern house, the owners asked Klopf Architecture and Envision Landscape Studio to re-imagine this house and property as a unified, flowing, sophisticated, warm, modern indoor / outdoor living space for a family of five. Opening up the spaces internally and from inside to out was the first order of business. The formerly disjointed eat-in kitchen with 7 foot high ceilings were opened up to the living room, re-oriented, and replaced with a spacious cook's kitchen complete with a row of skylights bringing light into the space. Adjacent the living room wall was completely opened up with La Cantina folding door system, connecting the interior living space to a new wood deck that acts as a continuation of the wood floor. People can flow from kitchen to the living / dining room and the deck seamlessly, making the main entertainment space feel at once unified and complete, and at the same time open and limitless. Klopf opened up the bedroom with a large sliding panel, and turned what was once a large walk-in closet into an office area, again with a large sliding panel. The master bathroom has high windows all along one wall to bring in light, and a large wet room area for the shower and tub. The dark, solid roof structure over the patio was replaced with an open trellis that allows plenty of light, brightening the new deck area as well as the interior of the house. All the materials of the house were replaced, apart from the framing and the ceiling boards. This allowed Klopf to unify the materials from space to space, running the same wood flooring throughout, using the same paint colors, and generally creating a consistent look from room to room. Located in Lafayette, CA this remodeled single-family house is 3,363 square foot, 4 bedroom, and 3.5 bathroom. Klopf Architecture Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Jackie Detamore, and Jeffrey Prose Landscape Design: Envision Landscape Studio Structural Engineer: Brian Dotson Consulting Engineers Contractor: Kasten Builders Photography ©2015 Mariko Reed Staging: The Design Shop Location: Lafayette, CA Year completed: 2014

This is an example of a large transitional enclosed family room in Denver with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor and wood.

A family room that is casual, comfy with hints of mid century modern
This is an example of a mid-sized midcentury open concept family room in Tampa with porcelain floors, a tile fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Rénovation complète d'un appartement de 77m2 dans le quartier de St Germain des prés pour un pied à terre parisien.
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary open concept family room in Paris with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and wallpaper.

This Sag Harbor home is designed for year-round gatherings, offering a welcoming atmosphere for family and friends with stylish, cozy spaces perfect for entertaining and relaxation. This games room features a pool table, large TV, and plush seating for lounging. A wine room adds to the comfort, creating the perfect space for relaxing with family and friends.

The 'snug' is located to the right of the kitchen and primarily used as a play area for the children that can easily be overlooked while cooking in the kitchen. Finished in Farrow & Ball Sulking Room Pink to create a cozy, inviting atmosphere.

Detailed view styled family room complete with stone fireplace and wood mantel, medium wood custom built-ins, sofa and chairs, black console table with white table lamps, traverse rod window treatments and exposed beams in Charlotte, NC.

This is an example of a mid-sized scandinavian open concept family room in San Francisco with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.