Surrey Hills House

There are few, if any, period homes, that have not been altered, with some additions being adequate in terms of space, but offering little connection to a garden, as in this case, a generous open plan living area for the owners, a couple with three children. The 1980s extension was not only large enough with its small rumpus room and adjacent laundry, but was also split level with the kitchen above. Stepped glass windows following the outline of the rear steps to the garden brought in excessive heat during the warmer months of the year.

However, what the Surry Hills house lacked in space, including sufficient bedrooms and bathrooms, it made up for with its bay-windowed Victorian façade. The block-fronted house was also fortunate to have retained many of the period details, including leadlight doors and windows, decorative ceilings, ceiling rosettes and original open fireplaces. With a heritage overlay in the leafy street, Ardent Architects was conscious of ensuring any extension, in this case two-storey, wasn’t seen from the street (the new wing is concealed behind the original pitched roof and a gentle fall of 1500 millimetres addresses this issue).

While the front of the house retains all its Victorian charm, the rear elevation, a two-storey wing constructed in blockwork and painted cement sheets, responds to a family keen to live in contemporary spaces. And as with the original façade with its bay window, the rear elevation also kinks out in a gentle boomerang shape to diffuse the light into the kitchen and informal living area. Unlike the former arrangement, the new open plan living area, with generous glazing and sliding doors, is all on the one level. Polished concrete floors, stone benches and matt black laminate joinery creates a seamless and low maintenance design, with garden views (including a slot window above the kitchen bench). Ardent Architects also refashioned the swimming pool and created a well-endowed covered terrace for alfresco dining, with an outdoor kitchen/built-in barbeque in the mix.

The house now comprises five bedrooms, one of which is used by the owners’ parents who live overseas. The children now have their own bedrooms and bathrooms (on the first floor) and the parents can now enjoy their bedroom, occupying an original front room, but extended to include a walk-in dressing area and ensuite. So, in a sense, it’s now celebrating the best of both worlds, the past and present.

Photographer: Spectral Modes Photography