Tucked away among the Melaleuca trees on Bunurong Country on the Mornington Peninsula, Marianne House has undergone a transformation that manages to be both dramatic and deeply respectful. What was once a modest 76-square-metre coastal cabin in Rye is now a generous 208-square-metre family retreat—without losing an ounce of its original charm.
Many renovations bulldoze the past, but this one leans into it. The original cabin’s heart—its warm timber-lined walls and that striking brick fireplace—remains firmly in place, now flowing seamlessly into a sleek, contemporary addition. This creates a home that feels effortlessly cohesive, as if the extension had always been there.
The redesign takes a clever approach, preserving the cabin’s footprint while introducing a new wing that brings modern comforts into the mix. The original structure now houses two bedrooms, a lounge, a bathroom, and a study, while the expansion makes way for a spacious kitchen, dining, and living area, plus a main bedroom, laundry, and bathroom. And instead of awkwardly mashing old and new together, a central entry courtyard acts as a soft divider—flooding the master bedroom with natural light and offering serene garden views.
The extension leans into clean lines and high ceilings, using walnut-stained Blackbutt timber that plays beautifully against the existing brick. The pièce de résistance? A dramatic vaulted ceiling in the new living area that echoes the exposed rafters of the original cabin, tying past and present together in a way that just makes sense.
With its north-west orientation, the new living spaces are perfectly positioned to soak in the golden afternoon light, blurring the line between indoors and the surrounding coastal landscape. It’s a home that doesn’t just sit in nature—it breathes with it.
Marianne House is a glorious example of thoughtful expansion. It’s proof that you don’t need to erase history to make space for the future—you just have to know how to listen to what’s already there.
