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Project & Brief
The Pascoe Vale South Residence was a contemporary renovation to a single storey Californian bungalow in Pascoe Vale South, Victoria. The owners had been living in the home for several years, and their primary goal was the removal of a large structural column in the middle of the lounge/ dining area which had always been an inconvenience. They needed better facilities to entertain large groups, both indoors and outdoors, during family gatherings as well as the Spring racing carnivals. The remaining brief was somewhat open ended, depending on what could be done cost-effectively to improve their enjoyment of the home whilst adding value to the property.
Design Solution
The existing compact kitchen, the awkward lounge/ dining, a small laundry, a toilet room, and a small covered rear porch were all within a rear extension that had been added perhaps fifty years ago. It was two steps up from the rest of the house which created a natural separation between the original house and what would become the new contemporary living area. The maligned column stood in the middle of all this. Some tricky structural work was undertaken to remove the column as well as the four dropped beams that it supported. This created a new open plan living area with a spacious lounge, comfortable dining, a dedicated bar for entertaining, and a generous kitchen with an island and plenty of storage. An efficient new laundry/ mud room/ rear entry for the owners was located between the kitchen and the existing carport. The rear façade was entirely redesigned and reconstructed whilst retaining the unusual double gabled roof of the old extension to minimise costs. This greatly improved the rear elevation whilst the new doors and windows are now located to maximise comfort, daylight, and access to the rear yard for social gatherings.
There were four rooms in the original portion of the house with period details. Three did not need to be extensively altered, although some of their uses were reconsidered. The matching master bedroom and home office at the front of the house were swapped. This allowed for the existing hall bath to be renovated and become their new en suite. The third room remained a guest room with the addition of built-in robes. The fourth had been a seldom used lounge, because it was too narrow and too long to be comfortable. This became a new hall bath and a cozy second study with original ornate lead light windows. Both can be closed off to be used as a guest suite with a private toilet for overnight guests.