View from the courtyard through glazed doors into the open kitchen, dining and living space beneath the diagrid timber ceiling

Wurundjeri Land | North Balwyn

Oh What A Ceiling!

‘Oh What A Ceiling!’ is what all visitors exclaim upon entering the striking extension of this beautiful family home. Hence, it is also the name given to this project which ingeniously transformed a tired mid-century brick veneer house into a suburban oasis for a multigenerational family.

Our clients, Gabby and Peter, came to us with a desire to reimagine their ageing home such that it could better cater to their modern lifestyles, accommodate those of their adult children and grandchildren, and provide a more intimate and meaningful connection with their garden. The renovation would reinvigorate their home to enable them to host bustling family gatherings with confidence and joy, to re-engage with their passions for cooking and sewing, and explore their skills in the garden and workshop.

The resulting design not only delivered on our client’s multifaceted and aspirational brief, but brought a new level of energy efficiency and comfort to the house, whilst also packing a punch in the form of design ingenuity.

“As the front façade was kept intact, guests are awestruck with the totally unexpected interior and the main feature of the house, a striking detailed timber ceiling, never fails to impress.

Whilst this praise for the architecture is nice, it would mean nothing if the house did not meet our needs of allowing our extended family to be sociable and relax in a cosy homely way. We all love how the design has incorporated the outdoor garden seamlessly into the hub of the home. It is like having four different rooms as the garden changes with the seasons.”

- Peter and Gabby

Kitchen and dining space opening through full-height glazing to a timber deck and established garden

Open-plan living and dining area with a raked diagrid timber ceiling, an internal recycled brick wall and a floating timber stair

Galley kitchen with white cabinetry and a glazed splashback, framing a view of the garden dining table beyond

Exterior deck shaded by a perforated steel pergola on angled timber rafters, bordered by garden planting

Wide view of the open living, dining and kitchen space beneath the raked diagrid timber ceiling, opening onto the garden deck

Side view of the perforated steel shading pergola over the deck, with a child running past the outdoor dining table

Kitchen with white cabinetry and glass pendant lighting, opening onto a garden deck beneath a framed timber ceiling

Close-up detail of the timber ceiling's diagrid beam structure and plywood lining

Rear extension with corrugated cladding and a perforated steel shading roof over a timber deck and established garden

Floating timber stair beside a recycled brick wall, leading to a smooth polished concrete floor, beneath a timber ceiling, with a dog atop the landing

A resident opening glazed doors onto a deck shaded by a perforated steel pergola, with an outdoor dining setting beyond

Kitchen island with bar seating and a navy joinery base, with open shelving of cookbooks beneath the benchtop

Close-up of heart-shaped foliage growing through the home's perforated steel shading screen

The Collective:

Ascend Carpentry - Builder
ZS Consulting - Structural Engineer
Filter ESD - ESD Consultant
Emma Cross - Photographer

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