Rosanna House

Our Rosanna House project sits on the land of the Wurundjeri people, who have been the traditional custodians of this area for generations.

The clients bought an early 1960s house in Rosanna that was too small for their growing family. The kitchen was tiny, the laundry almost non-existent, and the bathrooms were built for a different era. They wanted to keep the existing house and its redeeming features but needed a layout that worked for modern family life.

The brief was clear: don’t make it bigger than necessary, and preserve the character of the original house without turning it into a mid-century museum piece.

We kept the front of the house largely intact and added a two-storey extension at the rear. The new addition steps up to create two first-floor bedrooms while maintaining the single-storey scale at the front of the block. Dark corrugated cladding wraps the upper level, sitting quietly against the white-painted brick below.

Inside, the kitchen opens to the garden and becomes the heart of the house. Exposed beams frame the ceiling. Pale green tiles, cork flooring, and timber joinery keep the material palette restrained. A dramatic island bench with angled timber legs anchors the space.

The entry is framed by black steel and timber shelving that doubles as a room divider. It separates the sitting area from the living space without blocking light or views. Yellow accents reference the original house’s playful spirit without overdoing it.

Upstairs, 2 bedrooms overlook the garden. The exposed brick from the original house remains visible in the bathroom, a deliberate reminder of what was here before.

A house that respects its past but doesn’t live in it.

Selected Media:

• Dwell
• Habitus Living
• Architizer