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| Old and new house |
| This Queensland home gives its owners the best of both worlds, with its blend of traditional and contemporary living. |
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Many people try to make an extension blend with the existing house, but Wim and Alison van Zijl went to the opposite end of the scale and are very happy with the result.
When Alison and Wim bought the house seven years ago, it was the worst looking house in the street. A tiny weatherboard cottage, painted pink and green, with layers of worn carpet and lino and in Wim's words "a disgusting mess and depressing." Wim's father, a contractor with a carpentry background suggested that they burn the whole place down.
The house was rented out while Alison and Wim travelled Europe for two and a half years and on return they found the place in a much worse state than they had left it. The bath had fallen through the floor into the laundry underneath, tenants had tried to steal the fridge, smashing the doorway in the process and the place was riddled with fleas.
Instead of ripping down the original cottage, they completely gutted and renovated it. They decided to work with the original cottage because it was structurally good, it had some charm, it fitted in with the rest of the street and it meant that they had something immediate to live in. The couple spent $15 000 on the renovations which opened up the cottage to provide more space and light.
The new extension began when Alison fell pregnant, as they needed more space for a baby. They decided on a contemporary design because it allowed Wim — who was the architect — to be more creative. The couple both love modern furniture and colour so Wim designed a space that would suit such a look. It took Wim and his father four months to complete the renovation.
A bridge like structure links the two sections of the home. The older part of the house is the dining room, kitchen, bathroom, the baby's room and the home office. The new section contains the master bedroom, ensuite, living room, rumpus and meeting room. Wim made the furniture, because he couldn't find anything that suited the look he was after. He set out to create light furniture that appears as if it is floating in the space rather than dividing it. He plans to make more furniture to sell.
Internally, common materials and features link the two sections, both have timber windows and doors, the same roof construction and pitch and both have the same overall scale. Traditional Queenslander features, such as louvres have been incorporated in the contemporary section.
Externally, the sections are linked by the use of weatherboard and the window borders have been painted in the same colour. |
More Info
W.I.M Architects
39 Jackson St
Clayfield
Queensland
Ph: 07 3857 8215
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