“The house works really well for us. Ample, as you’ve called it.” – N

After many years in a larger family home, J and N wanted a house for their next chapter. They wanted it generous without being excessive, with room for a lifetime of books and art, and a garden to keep growing.

They also wanted to walk to everything they needed, which led them to a Californian bungalow in Brunswick. Before they bought it, we helped them assess its potential and budget, an early version of what is now our [PurchaseSmart] service. Once it was theirs, we worked together on what they truly needed.

The bungalow had heritage character worth keeping. From the street it keeps its charm, refreshed and upgraded, with the existing rooms retained rather than demolished. At the rear, new living spaces extend the original roofline and open the house to its north-facing garden.

Now every window frames the garden, which is alive with wattlebirds, honeyeaters and lorikeets, with doves nesting in the pear tree. In winter the sun streams all the way through to the kitchen benches, and in summer the house is well shaded.

Inside, warm timber linings and terrazzo floors make a quiet backdrop for their books and art. The day bed has become “a most coveted position”. Attic storage, a study nook and a clever service alley for bikes, bins and the battery mean there’s room for everything, and single-level living means the house will suit them for the long term.

It’s also a house that looks after them: comfortable, inexpensive to run and easy to maintain. Insulation and double glazing keep it comfortable year-round. “The bedroom never gets below 17,” says J. A sliding door in the hallway zones the heat in winter and comes into its own when the grandchildren visit. The house is all-electric, with solar and a home battery. Energy bills have fallen from up to $250 a month in their previous home to just over $30, and from October to mid-May they drew no power from the grid at all.

79% of the original house retained
17°C: the bedroom’s winter minimum
~$30/month: total energy bills
Zero grid power from October to mid-May

Press:
The Design Files - ‘Just Enough’

Awards:
Shortlisted — 2026 Sustainability Awards: Residential Design