Enter a colourful heritage home revived by Tecture in Newtown, Geelong, for a young family.
Located in a row of quaint weatherboard cottages, BBW House is a heritage home transformation by Tecture, in close collaboration with builders Built by Wilson. Designed for a young family to grow up in, the alteration and addition plays on light and colour throughout, filled with the client’s vibrant art and furniture.
The sloping site allowed for a concealed contemporary addition, barely visible from the home’s Victorian facade; illustrating a harmony of heritage features and modern functionality.
A white Aim Pendant for FLOS hangs gently over the dining table.
Two-toned Buch Stools, designed by Erik Buch contrast the crisp Signorino benchtop.
The off-white exterior is softly contrasted by a mud room to the side of the facade, clad in slimline timber panels. The mud room is conveniently located away from the front door, acting as a secondary entrance to a storage room with a built-in bench seat, continuing into the spacious, light-filled kitchen area.
A large ceiling void showers the kitchen and dining room in natural light. The kitchen is designed specifically for functional family living, complete with integrated appliances, hidden storage compartments and a segregated kitchen sink to optimise island bench space. A white Flos Aim Pendant hangs gently above the dining table, asserting itself as a design feature of the home.
The Vinge Lamp, designed by Note Design Studio for Örsjo sits on the in-built tv unit.
A square-set colourful painting sits playfully atop the cosy indoor fireplace.
A pastel blue Lampe De Marseille, designed by Le Corbusier for Nemo provides much-needed task lighting, alongside an &tradition Elefy JH28 chair by Jaime Hayon.
“The home caters to the young family on multiple levels. A rumpus room on the ground floor has been positioned adjacent to the main family room to allow a strong visual siteline,” Tecture director and architect Ben Robertson says. Upstairs houses three bedrooms and an additional rumpus room, providing space for the client’s extended family to stay and designed to transform into a lounge when the children get older.
The master ensuite tones down the playful colour palette evident throughout the rest of the home; a relaxing sanctuary for the parents. A double rainfall shower is encased with open ribbed glass panelling, directly under a generous skylight. Floor-to-ceiling veined marble tiles frame the walls, with small-format white tiles behind the vanity mirror.
The colourful bedroom honours the Ro Armchair, designed by Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen.
The bathroom features the Halo Wall Set by Brodware
The simple white Read Wall Light, designed by Cecilie Manz for Fritz Hansen in the bedroom.
The multi-tiered rear extension makes way for an in-ground pool, outdoor living and dining area and a seperate home gym. “Fortunately, the site falls dramatically from the front to the rear, so we were able to ensure the new extension remained recessive in nature, while also allowing some interior architectural expression inside through tiering levels, that transcend into the rear yard,” Ben affirms.
Remaining sympathetic to the home’s heritage, Tecture has brought about a complete modern refurbishment, without losing any of the building’s original charm and character.
Two City Plus Exposed Showers from Brodware enclose the master ensuite shower space.
Soft pink towels complement the pastel pink splashback tiles in the laundry.
Outstanding design. Great write up and photography. Overall very well done. So many more homes could be made so beautiful in this world.