Melbourne Bungalow Renovation – Brighton House
THIS MELBOURNE BUNGALOW RENOVATION BRIEF
Dwell Developments were given the opportunity to take on a contemporary Melbourne bungalow renovation project for a Brighton, Victoria residence that is almost a century in age.
Husband and wife pair Sheridan and Cameron own a 1920’s Spanish-Mission Californian bungalow.
The simple rectangular footprint of the home consisted of small rooms, which were dark. The historical dwelling was also generally looking old and tired.
The owners wanted to update the look and feel of the property and also add more space to their home.
They wanted space for their family to grow, including a modern extension which had a connection to the outdoors, plentiful storage and organic finishes.
Californian bungalows are known for their modest floor plan. The style of their construction makes extending out a more practical solution than extending up.
OUR APPROACH
Dwell Developments needed to update the heritage home while keeping the integrity of the original architecture. There were also a few key features of this Melbourne bungalow renovation project which needed to meet some very particular needs of the clients.
This included a couple of industrial-inspired finishing touches within the pre-existing main dwelling.
Kitchen splashback
The clients wanted to highlight the industrial feel of the kitchen, with a distinctive concrete splashback.
We were able to pour the custom concrete splashback onsite. The concrete was poured in a horizontal position using the kitchen carcass (floor cabinets) as support for the formwork. Once sufficiently cured, the splashback was lifted into place and glued to the wall.
Blue Steel clad hallway
Blue steel was custom ordered for placement in the hallway.
The raw steel panels were laser cut to the required measurements. These panels were then glued to MDF sheets and installed within the hallway and finished in a matt clear oil.
The result was a sleek, modern industrial look that complements the rest of the home design.
Concealed storage and utility areas
Prior to the renovation, the family had a shortage of storage space throughout the home.
We added multiple storage and utility areas as requested by the client.
One of the larger tasks was adding a butlers kitchen, which was hidden by modern sliding barn doors.
OBSTACLES THAT WE OVERCAME
One of the main goals of the renovation project was to open up and lighten up the space. The family were living in a tired, cramped, dark house with no storage or space to grow for their young family.
Glass was introduced into the extension, which helped bring the outdoors into the indoors.
The glass panels needed to be installed in the back courtyard, but were too big to fit through the front door and weighed over 200kg. We had to use a crane to lift the glass over the house and into the courtyard.
Once the glass was safely transported into the courtyard, the glaziers installed glass directly into the frames and doors, with the help of the crane.
AFTER SNAPSHOT
This extensive structural renovation project took 9 months to complete.
The family were very happy with the final product and felt their specific requests were fulfilled right down to the minor details.
Introducing glass and glazed metal into the design brought in more natural light. The reflective surfaces also created a more luxurious feel.
Opening up the back area of the house helped maximise the use of the smaller sized block. It also increased the overall sense of space in the home and provided different areas for entertaining and relaxing.
This unique project was also featured in Home Beautiful Magazine
Click the magazine image to read the full article.
Alan Oppenheim
Home Owner
Jamie completed a renovation and expansion of our home for my wife and I, back in 2010. The result was a quality new environment and over the years we have established an ongoing professional relationship with Jamie.
In 2016 he and his team at Dwell Developments completed another renovation for us. We enjoy Jamie’s open communication and positive approach to completing our jobs in a timely manner to a high-quality standard.
Having worked with Jamie on two significant projects, Jane and I look forward to working with Jamie on future jobs.
Give us a call to discuss how we can work with you to create your next project.