We visited this property in Murrumbeena on the request of a builder we had done work for over the years. The owners loved their house but needed more space and better parking conditions. Also the house was rather cold and dark, particularly in winter.
We spent a lot of time chatting to the owners and familiarising ourselves with the home. They kind of knew what they wanted as far as extra rooms go but did not have any idea how to brighten up this 100 year old house.
We knew the cause of the problem, it plagues around a quarter of houses in Melbourne. North was to the front but living areas are preferred at the rear which in this case is away from the natural light. We usually have design solutions to this conundrum through clever placement of front facing highlight windows but what compounded this particular situation was their fondness for their existing very high front brick fence.
We broached the idea of removing this front wall a number of times but it was met with very strong and emotional resistance. Given that councils will not let you rebuild any new high front fences they have a higher value as there is no going back and reinstating later.
We mounted the case that the whole house would be transformed if we lifted the veil on this pretty façade. Furthermore, all desirable light comes from the front on this site ensuring the front garden, façade and living spaces would be even more delightful if opened up. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, most owners find this hard, what they can do is put trust in the right house design expert that has foresight.
The before and after pictures tell us that the right choices were eventually made, moreover the bright and airy resulting house transformation inside only adds to this story.
This Victorian Beauty now has all it needs to shine thanks to the team at House Design Solutions and thanks to the trust and consideration the owners showed for our ideas. We only have the best interests of the project in mind when providing unbiased expert advice to any client.
Our testimonial pages are filled with similar stories of happy clients who benefited from our care, professionalism and foresight built up over 30 years of experience.
