Houses were different in the fifties. While homes were built to last, the design was often not as well thought out as it could have been. Take this weatherboard home for example where the owners have had enough of people peering into their toilet!

Well, not literally but visitors can see right into where their toilet is from their front door. To combat this and other design issues, they are seeking a modern makeover for the whole home.

The house has three bedrooms aligned in an orderly fashion on the south-side —sensible so far — but it’s the north-side that needs help. The family, living and kitchen areas are in a state of disarray.

After meeting with the owners, architect Michael Sheppard came up with a plan. He kept the lounge and the front bedroom, turned the second bedroom into a bathroom and the existing study into a bedroom, thus maintaining the south-side sleeping quarters.

By replacing the second bedroom with a bath, the owners can demolish the eyesore at the end of the existing entry and free up the corridor for a free-flowing curve past the new laundry and service area (with easy outdoor access) into a new open-plan living and kitchen space.

The new design turns the kitchen/dining/living area into a comfortable destination as opposed to the ‘glorified passage’ that it was. The study inherits the old dining room, a spacious nook with its own bay window.

The architect has divided the north-side of the backyard into a sundeck and the east-side for a dedicated garden. A water tank is proposed for a place at the edge of the veranda.

Out front is a single carport, a laser-lite roof and a diseased gum tree off to the side and some deciduous trees ready to fall over. The garden is presently in a bit of a mess, says the architect; the owners are keen to remake it with drought-resistant planting.

Scyon™ products to consider?
Scyon™ Stria™ cladding - A wide cladding board with a 15mm horizontal joint that has the classic appeal of decorative render without the construction hassle. Read more abut it here.




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