CEDAR HOUSE

Renovation

Cedar House is an addition to a weatherboard Edwardian which embraces the sun and outdoors. The owners and their children had outgrown their home and an existing 1980s addition had become dated and dysfunctional. To correct these issues while making the most of the long, unusually-shaped block with dual street access, we removed the existing extension and created a two-storey addition opening onto a pool and outdoor space.

Bedrooms, a separate lounge and a renovated bathroom are housed in the original home, while a new kitchen, pantry and living area are tucked under the original roofline. A new dining area, laundry and powder room unfurl off the original home, wrapping around the pool and deck and connecting the home to a rear garage to realise the benefits of the dual-access site.

As you enter the home, you glimpse the new open space and outdoor areas at the rear, drawing you through to a dramatic, full-length skylight which marks the connection between old and new. The skylight brings natural light into the centre of this important family space while simultaneously honouring the roofline of the original home.

The addition favours the southern boundary to leave as much space as possible for north-facing living spaces and the outdoor area, but a sliver of garden is retained to ensure the neighbour solar access. The gable-roofed addition also minimises overshadowing to the southern neighbour.

This garden to the south helps the dining area feel like it’s surrounded by greenery. Openable windows are designed to draw cool breezes through the house, while their lowered head height focuses your eye on the greenery and protects the owners’ privacy from the neighbours.

Just like the work triangle in a kitchen, a triangular relationship between the kitchen, dining and outdoor area helps to create an indoor-outdoor lifestyle for the owners. Large glass sliding doors allow opens the dining area seamlessly onto the deck, while a servery window and breakfast bar connect the kitchen to the outdoors. Even the laundry enjoys a view over the pool and outdoor space, making those must-do domestic duties less of a chore.

Conceived as a finely-crafted cedar box, the upper level floats above the open-plan living spaces. The cedar wraps around the upper level, becoming the soffit and ceiling of the dining area below. The upper level also overhangs the lower level to the north to provide sun protection and create a covered outdoor space. In fact, when the sliding doors are open, the whole dining area feels like a covered outdoor space, blurring the boundary between inside and out.

The upper level is the children’s domain. With two bedrooms, a bathroom and a retreat space with kitchenette, this dedicated space will afford the kids some privacy and offer them their own living zone as they become young adults.