The journey from a bach to contemporary family home. The original house was built as a seaside bach circa 1930âs. It was a simple weatherboard design consistent with the art deco style of the period, including a low pitch roof, parapets and âeyebrowâ extensions above the windows. The property has had a series of additions made over the years including adding a simple sleepout and dinghy shed, adding rooms to the ground floor, adding a garage and carport, and most significantly an upper storey with an out of character steeply pitched hip roof line. The brief for the project was to rationalise the layout and connection of rooms, create a more sympathetic roof style and increase the energy efficiency and comfort of the building. The owners desired to stay on the property during the alteration, so phase one was to excavate behind the existing sleepout and add a functional utility room and small kitchen/living space. The proportions and style of the extension were scaled to suit the existing building and blend in seamlessly. The joinery from the spare room in the house was repurposed for the kitchen. The owners successfully lived in this space for nearly a year and it is now run as an Airbnb. The design for the house was guided by the style of the original bach. The bedroom zone was reconfigured to provide sensible access, new bathroom & laundry facilities and a sheltered rear deck was reinstated leading to a courtyard. The balance of the main level was simply refurbished, and a feature biofuel fireplace installed in place of the old open fire. Jarrah was used for a bespoke dining table, fireplace mantle and entry wall opening to match the existing kitchen bench. The basement level garage (essentially a closed in carport with uneven floor that rain flowed into) was demolished and a new garage built with internal access, and an improved driveway. An old store space was converted into a cellar â lined with bricks and fence palings rescued from the property. The upper level was reduced in size to create a pleasant sitting room, study space and master bedroom suite. The new roofline created more usable height whilst vastly reducing the bulk and density externally. Without the limitation of small dormers, larger windows for light, views and access to the deck were incorporated. Parapets and âeyebrowâ roofs were designs to match original ones on the lower level. Large areas of fake walnut panelling were removed from the sitting area, stairwell and upstairs which was replaced with painted walls. Extensive landscaping, including retaining walls, paths, and planters was undertaken to complement the design. Where existing windows remained, aluminium double-glazed inserts were installed. New double-glazed windows were installed with facing boards and sills to match. All existing external walls and ceilings had maximum insulation added, consistent to above code installation in the new areas. A heat pump was installed to provide comfortable, convenient heating. A water storage tank was added for rain harvesting.