Up & over A ’30s Brisbane cottage is lifted, extended and revitalised
LIFTING, EXTENDING AND REVITALISING A 1930S COTTAGE HAS GIVEN THIS BRISBANE FAMILY THE PERFECT ENTERTAINER’S HOME
WHO LIVES HERE? Andrew, a structural engineer; Briony, a HR manager; their daughters, Amy, three, and baby Eloise; and the family cat, Tonka.
LOCATION: Brisbane.
ORIGINAL PROPERTY: A ’30s single-storey timber workers’ cottage.
TIME FRAME: Eight months.
WHY THIS HOUSE? “We decided to buy this house when we walked into the back and saw a magnificent poinciana tree through the window,” says Briony. “However, we later found out it was riddled with termites and we had to get it pulled down. Luckily, there were plenty of other beautiful trees in the gully, which the house overlooks. We also fell in love with the original features of the house: the high ceilings, VJ walls and jarrah floors.”
WHY THE RENO? “We lived in the house for five years before renovating and it was great, but we had to compromise quite a bit,” says Briony. “There was virtually nowhere to entertain, all the rooms were poky and closed off from each other and the laundry was outside, under the house. I guess we just got to the stage where we didn’t want to settle anymore and wanted to design a house that we could enjoy more, and where we could entertain and one day raise a family.”
THE WORKS: “The house is character-listed, so there were certain restrictions in place,” says Andrew. “We couldn’t remove it – and didn’t want to – but we did want more space, so we raised the house and built in underneath. We also extended out the back and opened it up to create indoor-outdoor living areas and to make the most of the gully views.”
MAJOR CHANGES: The extension allowed for a large entertaining area downstairs and a main bedroom suite. A new kitchen and three new bathrooms were also added.
FAVOURITE ASPECT OF THE REDESIGN? “For me it’s the outdoor entertaining area,” says Andrew. “It means we get to enjoy the house more, and spend more time with family and friends.” Briony adds: “Mine is the main bedroom, especially the full wrap-around windows.”
KITCHEN “We absolutely love our marble benchtops [opposite], but they need care to keep them looking great,” says Briony. “It’s like buying a pair of really beautiful high heels – not 100 per cent practical, but stunning!” The couple chose Calacatta Oro marble for its warm green and pink tones, rather than the more commonly used pale grey marbles. “It was chosen to work with our colour scheme, however, we suspect it also has the advantage of hiding stains better than the grey,” says Briony. The stone was honed rather than polished for a more tactile feel. Briony bought the natural wicker pendants from Freedom, then spray-painted them black for a more dramatic effect.
LIVING ROOM While the pair rarely want to block out the leafy view in the living room (top right), sheers were added to temper glare on hot summer days. “To prevent the new extension looking like a white box, we introduced natural materials in deeper tones, such as the linen curtains, spotted gum floors and marble benchtops,” says Briony. Splurge purchases included the ‘Unravel’ rug from Designer Rugs, which was balanced by budget buys, such as the two retro chairs found at reclamation outlet Underwood Demolition Market.
DINING AREA The Oishi oak table in the dining room (right) is teamed with second-hand pine chairs. “We painted them black for a more modern look,” says Andrew. A handsome pendant – Moooi ‘Non-Random’ light from Space Furniture – defines the area, while a bright pop art piece by the fictitious persona Doug Bartlett (a collaboration between Australian artists Nick Morris and Dave Bowers) adds a shot of colour.
“A DESIGNER FRIEND TOLD US TO USE materials THAT ARE honest. WE TRIED TO FOLLOW THIS ADVICE AND I THINK THE HOME IS BETTER FOR IT” ~ BRIONY
MAIN BEDROOM Housed in the new extension, the main bedroom (above) commands impressive treetop views. Double curtains were added to the full-length wrap-around windows; light sheers soften the sun, while fully lined linen curtains provide privacy at night. Freedom bedside tables and industrial-style lamps from Blake & Taylor bookend the bed. A low partition wall cleverly conceals a generous expanse of built-in cabinetry – keeping bedroom clutter under control – while revealing the Tasmanian oak-edged display shelves.
OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING AREA A recycled teak table (try Mamagreen for similar) is teamed with charcoal-washed ‘Lucia’ dining chairs from The Outdoor Furniture Specialists (left). The exterior feature walls are painted in Taubmans Breakaway, whilst the external cladding (for similar, try James Hardie) was left unfinished on the advice of architect Suzanne Bosanquet “to keep the building honest”, explains Andrew.