Houzz Tour: Way-Out-There Modern Living in Sydney
A third of its innovative kitchen is outdoors, but this modern home's indoor-outdoor connection doesn't stop there
Houzz Editorial Staff
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It may look like a simple cottage from the front, but the rear of this Australian home opens up to a surprisingly modern outdoor living space. Like the other houses on small lots in this eclectic neighborhood, in a suburb of Sydney, the house is built out to its side boundaries with minimal front-yard and backyard space.
Architect Danny Broe worked within the site's limits to create a space that embraces the Australian sunshine. Building a new back porch, pushing a third of the kitchen onto the patio and putting a small office in an outdoor shed opened the back of the house for seamless indoor-outdoor living.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young, artistic couple with a small child
Location: Lilyfield, a suburb of Sydney
Size: 1,033 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Budget: About $130,000 AUD (approximately $133,000 USD)
Architect Danny Broe worked within the site's limits to create a space that embraces the Australian sunshine. Building a new back porch, pushing a third of the kitchen onto the patio and putting a small office in an outdoor shed opened the back of the house for seamless indoor-outdoor living.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young, artistic couple with a small child
Location: Lilyfield, a suburb of Sydney
Size: 1,033 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
Budget: About $130,000 AUD (approximately $133,000 USD)
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| The back of the house completely opens to the backyard. While this style is common in Sydney, Broe decided to push the envelope and put a third of the kitchen outside. The laundry is also outside, under the bar top, which keeps it close to the clothesline. "We wanted to take it a step further and put the kitchen, the most active room in the house, on the threshold," Broe says. Folding door: Architectural Joinery |
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| Most of the homes in this area are small brick and wood cottages that were built about a hundred years ago. Broe changed little on the front of the house, maintaining the same scale and size to suit the neighborhood. |
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| Broe built a new, tiny home office on the site of the 100 year old home's outhouse. Plywood sliding doors with an acrylic roofing infill (the same material used on the veranda) open up at the corner to create the feeling of more space. A cantilevered roof allowed Broe to avoid using a corner column. |
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| The new back addition incorporates rough, raw materials, like wood and corrugated metal, for texture and to emphasize the construction methods. Broe made a point of using few decorative finishes. "The raw and overlapping materials evoke nature," he says. Broe used recycled Australian red gum tree for the porch floor. A local sail maker made the shade cloth attached to the left side of the veranda, which helps with privacy and reduces rain splash. |
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| Previously, the rear of the house was damaged and structurally unsound. The angle of the house made it cold in the winter and hot in the summer, and minimized any connection to the back garden. |
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| Now the house embraces the sunny outdoors. New brick walls on either side help with privacy but still provide some connection with the neighbors. |
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| The site orients north, and Broe used passive solar techniques to benefit the home's energy efficiency. "In Sydney 90 percent of the poor weather comes from the south, so the porch was protected and facing north," he says. "We oversized the big roof so it acts like a big umbrella." Unlike most verandas, which slope down toward the ground, the back porch cover angles up. The roofline lets the winter sun in, keeps the summer sun out and allows for a view of the sky from the patio. A gutter at the back of the veranda catches rainwater and filters it off the house. Extra-durable laminate on the outside portion of the kitchen means it can stand up to the toughest Australian weather. An overhang at the counter helps protect the laundry area, too. Most of the main kitchen storage and appliances are inside, so the setup works in all weather. |
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| Plastic laminate cabinetry and countertops and a back-painted glass backsplash make for a durable, easy-to-clean kitchen inside, too. The cabinet and countertop edging have contrasting colors for a playful touch. Countertops, cabinetry: plastic laminate, Abet Laminati; pendants: Ikea |
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| Because the house is closed in on each side by other homes, Broe had to make use of any natural light he could get. The long, thin, slot skylight in the living room fills the room with sunlight from the roof. |
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| The interior's color and material palette feels modern but warm — much like the new exterior addition. "We wanted a modern look, but we didn't want white minimalism," says Broe. The home's original hardwood floors add texture to this clean look. |
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| Stone tile makes for a soothing bathroom that still has plenty of character. Broe custom designed the vanity with recessed lighting, and the client's father built it as a Christmas present to the family. |
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| Original clapboard walls in the bedroom maintain some of the home's character. The black and white textile scheme ties in with the rest of the home's simple design. Photographer: Karina Illovska Structural engineer: Partridge Partners Carpenter: Grant Bidwell |
Ideabook published on Feb. 27, 2013.
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Beautiful and extraordinary.
Yes, we have bugs. Mosquitoes are the main problem in summer, but we all still love the outdoors, and the advantages of a movable wall of glass outweigh the disadvantages.
While mozzies are a pest, especially in the evening, flies would be a bigger problem during the day, especially with anything cooking. However, without our flies and mozzies, we wouldn't have the Great Australian Wave.
Overall, the renovation, furniture and decor has all been beautifully done.