Malvern House

Family demands plus heritage restrictions converge to create a large, open living space that’s awash with light and opportunities for connection.

A contemporary family home with spaces for everyone and everything that actively brings people together, the Malvern House extension opens up to natural light and encourages connection and interaction by design.

Adhering to heritage overlay regulations required the two-storey addition to a double-fronted Edwardian house to be set a considerable way back from the street. This meant the internal footprint would now need to incorporate an existing underground wine cellar. The solution – an extra-wide living space with a concealed trap door to the cellar – ultimately bestows the house with its abundant natural light, expansiveness and sense of connection.

Visibility is key to the design. The living space features a large north-facing window seat that centres on the pool, with sliding glass doors that merge the house with the landscaped garden. The slot window kitchen splashback allows for easy supervision of children playing outside.

The main bedroom suite is upstairs, with a void between up and down and full-height windows to the garden ensuring the parents are connected to family life. A skylight over this void draws light into the centre of the home.

A neutral palette of white bricks and limed timber linear wall panelling adds to the airy atmosphere and contrasts with the ornate architectural details and polished plaster walls of the original home.

The extension’s positioning had the advantage of allowing the existing roof space to be used as a study area. Storage is paramount throughout the home, with bespoke joinery – including a laundry chute and discreet butler’s pantry – concealing the clutter of daily life and promoting a relaxed, laidback family lifestyle.