& the rest...
pitch perfect
“The new add-on that currently houses the kitchen has a flat roof, which isn’t a great idea when you’re surrounded by tall trees,” says Wayd. “It needs to be replaced with a pitched design in keeping with the rest of the house – it’ll make the renovation look seamless – and is far easier to deal with from a maintenance point of view. It would also make it easier to install ducted heating and cooling. The build-up of leaves in an area like this is always going to be a risk – the reason most houses set alight during a bushfire is due to ember attacks in the gutters. The gutters here are currently protected by leaf guards, which I’m not a fan of. Sediment still builds up and they’re really difficult to service. A gutter brush or ‘hedgehog’ are better options as they sit in the gutters and catch the leaves, then you just pull them out and clean them on a regular basis.”
pool update
“It’s amazing to have a pool but Nicole and Chris want to update this one to make it look more contemporary,” says Lisa. “Of course, pool fences are a necessity but they’re rarely beautiful. Glass is a nice idea but it’s very expensive and needs a lot of work to keep it looking sparkly. I’d suggest painting the railings dark grey, which would disappear into the landscape and link it back to the house. The water looks very green because of the pebblecrete lining; to ‘blue’ it up, we’d need to go with white or blue tiles, which could be laid over the top. Then replace the terracotta surround with a charcoal granite pavers and it’s ‘Hamptons, here we come!’”
window design
“A beautiful addition to the new living area would be a bay window looking out over the garden,” says Andrew. “It would give a sense of balance and scale, and provide great natural light. Unlike a flat window, a bay window captures light – and views – from three angles. You can even install a bench seat to take in the panoramic views and give the feeling of sitting within the tree canopy! I’d suggest having the bay window made from steel plates that surround a fairly conventional window frame. The steel is very strong, so its thin edges will give beautifully clean lines, while also being relatively easy to fix to the outside wall.”