& the rest...
“It would be great to see a verandah across the whole of the northern side of the house” ANDREW BENN, PANEL ARCHITECT
out the back
“The large north-facing backyard is an excellent start,” says Andrew. “But as it is, the house has almost no connection to the garden. The back door comes off the side of the house into an undercover area that the family rarely uses, and the windows at the back of the house are small. It would be great to see a verandah across the whole of the northern side of the house, elevated to the same level as the interior floors. Once the inside is reconfigured, all the living areas could spill out through glass sliders, which would break up the orange brickwork and make the facade more attractive. We could use details such as the existing slender post to set the architectural style so it works in harmony with the original features that Joanne and Heinz love.”
outside in
“There are plenty of elements to consider regarding your furniture when planning an exterior room,” says Lisa. “You need to think about the connection from interior to exterior so it feels spacious and cohesive, rather than two different places. Link the style of outdoor furniture to the interior in texture, colour and style and make sure the flooring is similar in tone and style – factor in the aspect as dark colours will retain heat and lighter tones will reflect it. It’s also important to think about the layout of furniture between the interior rooms and the exterior room – having your outside table running alongside the interior dining table is a common mistake – it’s best to put some space between indoor and outdoor dining.”
the windows
“Joanne and Heinz don’t like the look of the old aluminium windows and they’re also not working,” says Wayd. “But before you spend a small fortune on new ones, there are things you can do to make what you have a lot more likeable. First, upgrade the glass. It’s currently 4mm float and changing that to 6.38mm laminated glass would help cut the amount of heat getting in and out. Then paint the aluminium white to modernise it – use a metal etch primer to make sure the paint sticks. Lastly, you can replace the rollers if you can find new ones to fit. These ones have had it and that’s what’s making the windows stick when you try to open them. If the couple ends up taking the rear windows out in favour of doors leading onto the deck, they should keep the old window frames to use as spares when upgrading the rest of the house.”