From the street, the 1870s cottage of architects Stephanie Burton and Joseph Lovell, in an inner-city suburb of Melbourne, Australia, is as modest as the homes that surround it—compact, humble bungalows likely built for those who worked in what was formerly a hat factory located in the rear alley. From the back, a new two-story extension, featuring more glass than wall, is its opposite—spacious, modern, and airy.
The addition, the couple’s first project for themselves, was spurred by a yearning to create a home that could accommodate their family’s needs as their children age. When they initially purchased the cottage, they were attracted to the neighborhood’s walkabililty, but the property itself left much to be desired. “The word ‘buried’ was often cited, with virtually no cross ventilation and little charm,” they say of its original state. On a modest budget, they restored and reworked the street-facing four-room cottage to hold the private spaces (two bedrooms, a study, and a bathroom) and added an extension to the back for the public spaces (an atrium-like open kitchen and living and dining area).
Unlike so many additions that seem to be inelegantly slapped onto original structures, this extension, though completely different in style from the cottage, feels in conversation with it thanks to a breezeway, across an inner garden, that connects the two buildings. The added benefit of this together-but-separate layout is more privacy as the children move on to their teenage years: the extension has a lofted bedroom that can one day be a main bedroom for the couple or a refuge for the kids.
Let’s take a tour of this cleverly designed remodel, shall we?
Photography by Rory Gardiner, courtesy of Lovell Burton.
See also:
- Marvila House: A New Modern Extension for an Old Charming Townhome in Lisbon
- Open House: A Small Mid-Century Home Revives Its Original Spirit
- One for All: TBo Updates A Brooklyn Townhouse for Multigenerational Family Living
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