the vine covered pergola matches the scale of the new addition to the gutter of the original house and blurs the house/garden edge study window also looks into this space
corner windows of the living room slide past the opening to stack against the wall the deciduous grape vine on the pergola allows the warmth of the winter sun to penetrate but provides a cool a green canopy to shade the space in summer
old and new external walls both timber however the original is blue/grey painted weatherboard and the new parts are oiled ecoply the colours are complementary
the vine covered pergola matches the scale of the new addition to the gutter of the original house and blurs the house/garden edge study window also looks into this space
our house
Our house was built in 1959. On a corner block, one room deep with an L-shaped plan and orientated so it receives cool summer breezes and warm winter sun it was the perfect starting point for renovation.
We renovated in stages completing much of the work ourselves, employing builders and tradesmen where necessary with friends and family all lending a hand.
The house felt small for a family of five but for many years we lived happily within the original footprint by removing some walls and opening the house to the garden to make it feel larger and more spacious.
Later we extended the house with just one flexible room and making a covered courtyard between the new and old in the process. Lastly we converted the tumbledown garage into a teenage retreat.
Original features have been kept and there has been little waste with most dismantled materials being reused either onsite or other sites.
The front deck, courtyard and garden are all part of our living space, we open and close the house to breezes as dictated by the season. To support local wildlife we've planted indigenous species and built a frog pond with reused concrete blocks.
Water is stored and used throughout the house and garden. We have solar panels on the roof and will soon use a battery to be able to power the home at night.
WHAT
modifications & extension
WHERE
kedron, brisbane, qld