When renovating a heritage home, it's important not to ignore the history and character of the original home. The best renovations work with the existing home to create modern spaces which feel part of the whole house, rather than an afterthought. Pleysier Perkins Architects' renovation of this Malvern East home demonstrates the benefits of working with the spirit and soul of an existing home to create modern spaces that feel comfortable with their heritage past.
"From the street, the only thing that gives away that the house has been renovated is a fresh lick of paint and a modern interpretation of a picket fence with a designer letter box", but inside it's a different story.
This young family wanted to update their Edwardian home to feel more spacious and better suit their needs. Importantly the architects realised early on they didn't need to extend at all. By simply reworking and updating the space they had, it was possible to create a home that felt airy and spacious without adding any floor area. "The clients' open mind allowed us to re-think the space they had available rather than going straight to an extension", explain the architects. The benefit of this was the cost-savings of not extending the home could be put back into higher quality finishes and fixtures - a clear choice of quality over quantity.
"The clients brief has been exceeded, with the house being more functional than they thought possible in a house of its size. Our ‘outside-inside’ idea created the desired spacious feel and flow of the living area and we proved that small spaces can achieve the quality and comfort of modern living, without adding unnecessary footprint."
The architects have preserved the original materials wherever possible, including the timber floorboards, stucco features, cornices, pressed metal ceilings, doors, skirtings, windows and walls, which helps to retain the original home's character and soul.
Three distinctive zones in the reconfigured home lend it that sense of spaciousness and clarity of planning: 'The Light and Airy' living area, 'The Comfy' bedrooms and 'The Calm' lounge. These zones create separate spaces where the family can have time to themselves or come together depending on their mood and needs, maximising the home's flexibility.
"The clients are very happy with their new home and love how we respected the old house, yet playfully explored a modern design approach and utilised our intricate understanding of the effect of different textures, details and materials."
