Home to an active young family with teenage children, this house was in need of both open and intimate retreat spaces. So when the brief called for a modern extension to accommodate their growing children, designers Pipkorn & Kilpatrick were called in to expertly fuse the old with the new. Contemporary yet sensitive to its history, the revamp of this classic Californian Bungalow in Melbourne’s Elwood neighbourhood has got everything going for it.

A clean, minimal approach was taken to the new pool house and additional dining room which links to the original house. This saw the conversion of the flat-roof garage into a flexible entertaining zone complete with a billiard room, lounge seating that becomes bedding and a cosy indoor fireplace with a self-contained kitchenette and bathroom. Vitra Cork Family Stools and an Armadillo rug soften the interior. Outside, the BBQ and custom built, bluestone-clad fireplace create a warm and inviting zone for use all year around.

The design is pared back to allow the raw materials to speak for themselves. Large timber joists with exposed steel and oversized aluminium sliding doors create some seriously large-scale volume, while the liberal use of concrete in the pool house against the red cedar pergola structure gives the house a strength and definition.

Reading as two distinct yet harmonious architectural styles, the open-plan addition cleverly captures a lightness that works in contrast to the ornate bungalow. The straight lines of the outside landscaping enhances the sense of space inside the extension while the pool cavity by Kate Patterson Landscapes acts like a central sculptural feature, where silver granite tiles spill over to play on form and function.

Safe to say, the spirit of the house has been revived and updated thanks to its latest addition. Modern in mood, this second living area marries something old with something new to create something better altogether. Bring on the Summer pool parties.

This piece originally appeared in est magazine issue 27. Read the entire magazine online here.