Real home: An architect’s daring extension in Melbourne

Built in the late 1800’s, this Victorian home was given the architectural treatment recently with the addition of a highly original rear extension. Not only is the house now much more light-filled and its configuration much more user-friendly, the rear of the home now features a dark stained, curvilinear timber wall that creates a shadow of the original house.

“The brief was for a contemporary rear extension including a new kitchen, dining, bathroom and living spaces. The existing kitchen and laundry were dark and poorly oriented and the relationship to the rear garden was limited. Retention and sensitive renovation of the existing residence was an important aspect of the project,” says the home’s owner and architect Thom McKenzie of Melbourne firm Winwood Mckenzie.

The open plan living and new marble kitchen replace a series of separate rooms while allowing more light in and a stronger connection with the garden too. A standout feature of the striking addition is a large, curved glass window and bench seat in the kitchen that sits beside two large sliding windows that form a contemporary bay window design – Thom’s favourite part of the renovation.

“The reinterpretation of the bay window uses curved glass in the kitchen and large sliding windows in the dining area to create window seats that catch the sun and continue the rhythm of the existing facade of the house. It creates a joyful and sun-filled domestic space and intimate connection to the garden that captures the spirit of the Victorian architecture without mimicking it. The spaces and functions are planned to capture the sun throughout day at the appropriate time,” says Thom.

In exciting news, you can wander through ‘Shadow House’ yourself as part of the upcoming Open House Melbourne program on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 July.

For more on Open House Melbourne | For more on Winwood Mckenzie