Brunswick East

Brunswick East. Federation Restoration.

A solid brick Federation home on a corner block. Good bones, generous site, but a layout that wasn't keeping up with a growing family.

The brief wasn't for an extension. It was for a restoration, one that made the existing home work properly without touching the architectural envelope or taking on unnecessary structural work.

We worked closely with interior designer Studio May to get the detail right throughout. The original floors were restored, Baltic pine and Kauri boards sitting side by side, tessellated tiling, bluestone thresholds. The kind of material you don't replace, but more work around sympathetically.

The lean-to was carefully extended to pull in the original outdoor WC. A tight piece of work, expanding the footprint without compromising the roof structure. Redundant walls and doors came out to open up the plan. The kitchen and dining now flow properly. A disconnected study became a snug.

New large sliding doors connect the kitchen and dining to the garden and north light. A mud room off the side access gives the family somewhere to land after weekend sport before coming inside.

Marble and spotted gum island bench in the kitchen. Warm tones throughout. A home that feels like it always looked this way, just better.

Interior Design: Studio May
Photography: Shannon McGrath