Houzz Tour: Local Cafe Culture Inspires a Melbourne Makeover
An Australian family renovates its bungalow to connect with relatives, friends and community
Living locally and connecting with community is an increasingly important part of the modern lifestyle. And it is this sentiment that influenced the design of this extended and renovated bungalow in the St. Kilda neighborhood of Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by their community, the homeowners wanted their house to exhibit the warm, welcoming and sociable feel of a local cafe. To do this, they worked with Make Architecture to create a home — aptly named Local House — that allowed them to connect with the people in their lives.
California-style bungalows swept Australia between World War I and World War II, offering city dwellers a more informal and modern lifestyle with a house that looked to the outdoors. This characteristic of the California bungalow certainly hasn’t been lost at Local House and, in fact, has only been enhanced.
Make Architecture kept the existing single-story California bungalow, replacing the lean-to at the back of the house with a contemporary addition. They stripped away the infill and compromised internal work to “reveal the character and materiality of the original house,” says Make director and architect Melissa Bright.
This can be seen in the red brick and clapboard gable at the end of the existing dwelling, which gives “a sense of external durability,” she says. It also visually and physically demarcates the transition between new and old interior spaces.
The internal layout of the existing house was realigned to its original, logical layout, while the extension was designed to accommodate a new kitchen and a flexible living-dining space on the ground level, and a main bedroom with an en suite upstairs. The addition was shifted off-center to get the most out of the sun to the north and west.
This can be seen in the red brick and clapboard gable at the end of the existing dwelling, which gives “a sense of external durability,” she says. It also visually and physically demarcates the transition between new and old interior spaces.
The internal layout of the existing house was realigned to its original, logical layout, while the extension was designed to accommodate a new kitchen and a flexible living-dining space on the ground level, and a main bedroom with an en suite upstairs. The addition was shifted off-center to get the most out of the sun to the north and west.
The materials in Local House are both tough and beautiful. The house is “designed to be robust and durable, to take the knocks of family life,” Bright says. However, “while it’s not precious or delicate, it didn’t mean that ideas of beauty and delight weren’t important in the design thinking.”
Off-form concrete embodies this robust elegance and is used wherever family and friends are expected to come together — on seating, counters, the hearth and fireplace.
Ceramic light by the fireplace: Anchor Ceramics
Off-form concrete embodies this robust elegance and is used wherever family and friends are expected to come together — on seating, counters, the hearth and fireplace.
Ceramic light by the fireplace: Anchor Ceramics
Like original California bungalows, the kitchen-dining space still opens to the backyard. Sporting expansive bi-fold glass doors in wood frames, it has been designed to “feel more like being in a garden pavilion than the interior of a house,” Bright says. The shadows from the trees bring a dappled and decorative lighting effect across concrete surfaces, boosting the pavilion feel and taking advantage of the setting among the trees. A yellow pendant over the table and yellow cabinetry underneath the counter add joyful color in a slick and stylish black and gray space.
The kitchen visually recedes into the side of the house with a black ceiling and woodwork. Design features often found in trendy cafes, such as a stainless steel kitchen counter and a blackboard wall, boost the cafe feel. The metallic black backsplash is tiled like a brick wall, complementing the red brick wall of the existing bungalow.
Handmade backsplash tiles: Anchor Ceramics; faucet: Astra Walker
Handmade backsplash tiles: Anchor Ceramics; faucet: Astra Walker
The social and welcoming atmosphere certainly comes to the fore in the kitchen-dining area, where forms and surfaces morph into one another, stepping and snaking through the space. The kitchen counter and seating are integrated and softened with wood lining.
While a built-in concrete bench means a limited need for chairs, these white wire dining chairs are a light and bright choice that provide a delicate contrast to the robust concrete forms.
While a built-in concrete bench means a limited need for chairs, these white wire dining chairs are a light and bright choice that provide a delicate contrast to the robust concrete forms.
The integrated seats, ledges and steps encourage people to sit and enjoy their surroundings. Nooks, booths and benches in the sun are designed for communal chatter and relaxation. Plus, a double-sided fireplace brings warmth to the inside and outside of the home.
Fireplace: Cheminées Philippe; can lights: JSB Lighting
Fireplace: Cheminées Philippe; can lights: JSB Lighting
The living area in the original house is crisp, white and comfortable, and has views to the garden. It’s a tranquil and relaxing space with an inviting gray sofa, tan leather Butterfly chair and black wire table, all of which sit lightly on the wood floor. The bagged brick wall provides texture and reflects light. Meanwhile, the hearth brings a concrete element into the space.
Pendant light: Tub Design
Pendant light: Tub Design
A set of floating stairs from the living area to the upstairs bedroom is almost like an optical illusion. One side rises from the wood floor while the other hangs in dark gray; a bookshelf edges the stairs and serves as a room divider.
When viewed front-on, the stairs’ open risers keep the space light and allow views through to the dining area and backyard. “The wood flooring in the existing house is sympathetic to the period of the Californian bungalow,” Bright says.
“The rear of the house has been designed as another ‘front,’” the designer says. It features a decorative wood screen — one of the most aesthetically distinctive aspects of the house. The screen floats over the rear of the house and fills in the end of the upper extruded gable roof form, containing the main bedroom within.
“The decorative timber screen mediates the western sun, and the angled pieces are used to limit views to the neighbors,” Bright says. This ensures compliance with local planning regulations for overlooking, “while still providing distant views over the rooftops beyond.”
Behind the wood screen, the master bedroom is bathed with dappled light that changes throughout the day. A white ceiling soars overhead, while an internal glass wall provides a view to the new living space below. A panel of louvred windows allows passive cooling and cross ventilation.
Carpet: Tretford
Carpet: Tretford
Functional shelving along the upstairs passageway is perfect for shoes.
Spun steel pendants: Life Space Journey
Spun steel pendants: Life Space Journey
The bathroom looks fresh in yellow. “The bright yellow wall gives a sense of lightness and delight,” Bright says. This is enhanced by having the shower cubicle soaked with natural light. It’s “small but playful,” says Bright of the bathroom, with its custom-made skylight.
Yellow penny-round mosaic tiles: Academy Tiles; floor and wall tile: Classic Ceramics; Omvivo Neo sink: Reece; light: Anchor Ceramics
Yellow penny-round mosaic tiles: Academy Tiles; floor and wall tile: Classic Ceramics; Omvivo Neo sink: Reece; light: Anchor Ceramics
A flexible studio space and garage at the end of the backyard can serve as a teenage retreat, home office, granny flat or guest room.
The studio has been designed to connect the home to the back lane. It has a separate entry, an operable window, a desk and a small porch to create a frontage that looks more like a shop than a garage.
“Treating the laneway as an important public space,” Bright says, means this “project might be a small activator of positive change.” In fact, a neighbor already is “proposing to build a renovation that also addresses the lane.”
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“Treating the laneway as an important public space,” Bright says, means this “project might be a small activator of positive change.” In fact, a neighbor already is “proposing to build a renovation that also addresses the lane.”
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: A couple, their teenage son and their dog, Ollie
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Size: 2,325 square feet (216 square meters); three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living spaces; plus a 732-square-foot (68-square-meter) studio that includes a bathroom and garage
Architect: Make Architecture
The owners also wanted a home in which they could live as a family and yet feel that there was enough space to be independent of one another. The result is a three-bedroom house with two living rooms, which combines the original California-style bungalow with an addition; plus a flexible studio space that sits across the backyard. Local House won a 2015 National Architecture Award for residential alteration and addition, demonstrating “the value of inventive design to a willing and receptive client.”