By repurposing the front rooms and adding a second storey, Foomann created a “home within a home,” for the client and her teenage children to live comfortably and harmoniously for years to come. The contemporary alteration and addition made full use of the existing Edwardian house, and respected the original without replication. Black-stained timber cladding is inspired by the black timber lattice, and spaces are clean and contemporary with oak-toned textural finishes and a highly figured granite for subtle drama.

The kids’ living room, family study, sitting room and guest bedroom are now in the front of the house, with the children’s bedrooms and a small seating area located upstairs. A direct side entry into the kids’ living room provides them with independence, and bike storage is conveniently located at the entrance. The semi-open stair to the kids’ bedrooms crosses the main living area, allowing the client passive surveillance of the kid’s comings and goings. The kitchen has been extended and updated to be more functional for cooking and entertaining.

Animation
Foomannimation by Isobel Knowles

Heritage Extension
Locating the second storey behind the original roof creates a respectful addition to the heritage house and streetscape.

Cladding
The black-stained timber and strapping of the second-storey addition are inspired by the black timber lattice on the existing verandas.

Form
The projecting corner window responds to the ground-floor chamfer in the living room and veranda, and the eave shades the small seating area from the northern sun.

Transition
New arched glass doors celebrate the transition between the front of the house and the main living area.

Materials
The ground-floor material palette stemmed from a pale oak timber cabinet the client owned and loved.  The spaces are clean and contemporary with restrained oak-toned textural finishes, and a highly figured Patagonia granite provides a dramatic touch.

Kid’s Entry
Bikes and helmets are conveniently stored inside the entry to the kid’s living area, with a bike storage nook under a new window.

Custom Furniture
Foomann designed the dining and outdoor tables, with a black steel frame and off-cuts of the highly figured Patagonia granite.

Stair
The semi-open stair to the kids’ bedrooms crosses the main living area, providing the client with passive surveillance of the kid’s comings and goings.

First floor
The high roof of the original home creates a private outlook from the first-floor bedrooms and bathroom.

The upstairs colour palette reflects the children’s choices.

Bedrooms
The kids’ bedrooms are designed as restful spaces. Their robes are located outside the bedroom, and their study space is in a shared room downstairs, so that the bedrooms are free of other functions.