Out of the past
A traditional frontage with a tile roof and stained glass windows gives
way to spacious, light-filled new entertaining spaces at the rear
Above: A picture of old-world dignity
at the front, this two-storey family
residence hides its new, more
contemporary attributes around
the back – all part of an innovative
and transformative renovation and
addition by project architect Linda
Simons of LSA Architects.
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It’s hard to improve on the elegant, graceful
lines of a traditional house facade. On the other
hand, you can’t beat the relaxed functionality of
modern, light-filled living spaces – this newly
renovated home enjoys the best of both worlds.
Unseen from the street, the comprehensive
rear renovation was undertaken by project
architect Linda Simons of LSA Architects.
“The homeowners are from large fami-
lies and wanted to be able to entertain all year
round,” says Simons. “Previously, the back of
the home consisted of smaller, enclosed rooms
and just a small deck that felt disconnected from
the rear garden, a couple of metres below.”
Simons says the homeowners’ brief was to
retain the classic looks at the front and introduce
a sprawling family-kitchen-entertainment space
at the back. The L-shaped, open-plan spaces
were to wrap around a reworked outdoor living
space with a new swimming pool, al fresco
dining and a barbecue.
When connecting a modern addition to an
older home, a straight contrast often works best,
and such was the case here. The pop-up roof on
the new section of the home connects directly to
the gabled tile roof of the original home.