This is a refurbishment and extension of a 1950s weatherboard house. The modest interior was reconfigured to let in natural light into the previously partitioned living spaces and create a flexible expanding open plan. The rear extension wraps around a central courtyard which forms the heart of the project, creating a dialogue between the house and garden.
On the exterior, the extension is clad in light grey panels with white timber trims – the minimalist detail reminiscent of traditional Japanese paneling. This simple aesthetic is contrasted with the textured lines of the existing weatherboard home and expressed outriggers under the eaves line.
The colour palette of the existing house is kept muted and in a warm neutral paired with the crisp white of the new extension. The warmth of timber provides a consistent element throughout.
Likewise, traditional rounded details of the existing home is contrasted with clean square edges of the extension.
Unnoticed interventions in the existing dwelling make the home comfortable and safe- foam insulation was pumped into the existing stud framing, glass wool insulation added above the ceiling, windows fitted with weather seals, existing plumbing and electrical wiring were upgraded to current building regulations.
Here, the Japanese tatami room is adapted to the Australian open plan.
It’s function and character varies with the movement of the sliding panels and activity within. Off to one side sits a shallow alcove – a ‘tokonoma’. The raised floor conceals storage and handcrafted movable pedestals provide flexibility. Two sides of the room are lined with overhead display shelving. A long timber bench runs under the windows along one side of the room to form a low desk.
The tatami room with its pale woven mats trimmed in black, paired with soft white translucent sliding screens is furnished in Black Japan stained timber. The room opens on one side onto the muted colour scheme of the existing house and on the other, a contemporary extension with clean flushed details in vivid white.
WMA 