Looking at the period facade of this Portsea beach house, one might assume it’s a simple, modest, heritage home. Not so!
After a recent renovation and extension by NTF Architecture, the formerly rundown weatherboard is now an expansive holiday home for a vibrant family of five. The completed and extended home is the perfect place for the family and their guests to gather, enjoy long summer days together, and huddle around the outdoor fire in winter!
Complementing all outdoor areas is the considered landscaping of Peachy Green Garden Architecture. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
It would have been easy for the owners to knock down the entire existing period home and start over, but that didn’t interest the clients or NTF. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
‘We collaborated with Made by Morgen to design a bespoke joinery piece, which acts as a room divider,’ says Ben Ellul, project architect at NTF Architecture. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
‘We wanted to retain the charm of the existing cottage, and create a contemporary pavilion which had the same qualities of space, simplicity and charm,’ says Ben. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
Featured materials of the interiors include white groove panelling, handmade Japanese tiles, and raw oak timber. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
. A new chimney (built using traditional methods) with an outdoor fireplace anchors the living pavilion to the site. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
With a pool, diving board, barbecue, tennis court, in-ground trampoline, and a basketball ring all on the one property, it’s impossible not to have a good time at this house! Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
A new threshold connects the cottage to a living pavilion at the rear. The sloping site enabled a bunk room to be tucked underneath, providing additional beds during the busy summers. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
The outdoor deck is elevated above the pool and tennis court. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
While the sloping site threw up its own challenges, this also served as an inspiration. ‘It provided the opportunity to step the new program down the site,’ explains Ben. Photo – Dave Kulesza. Styling – Bea + Co
We wanted to retain the charm of the existing cottage, and create a contemporary pavilion which had the same qualities of space, simplicity, and charm.’ – Ben Ellul
It’s not every day a buyer finds a rundown weatherboard property and sees its potential as a party house, but if this project is anything to go by, maybe they should!
The owners were seeking the perfect coastal escape, and found it on this large, sloping site on the Mornington Peninsula.
‘With young children who love the outdoors, they wanted their children to have the same experiences they had growing up at the coast,’ says Ben Ellul, project architect at NTF Architecture.
It would have been easy for the owners to knock down the entire existing period home and start over, but that didn’t interest the clients or NTF. ‘The simple beach shack is fast becoming extinct in some of Victoria’s coastal hotspots,’ says Ben.
‘We wanted to retain the charm of the existing cottage, and create a contemporary pavilion which had the same qualities of space, simplicity, and charm.’
Instead of re-building, an ad hoc lean-to was removed and replaced with a verandah wrapping around the house, and a living pavilion was added to the rear. A new chimney with an outdoor fireplace anchors the living pavilion to the site, and all of this is complemented by the considered landscaping of Peachy Green Garden Architecture.
While the sloping site threw up its own challenges, this also served as an inspiration for the architects. ‘It provided the opportunity to step the new program down the site,’ explains Ben. ‘Stairs transition from the existing cottage down to the rear living pavilion, visually separating the sleeping and living areas… A separate bunk room for the kids slides underneath the deck.’
Inside, a fresh, minimal palette includes white groove panelling, handmade Japanese tiles, and raw oak timber. ‘Being a weekend house, we stripped the interior back to the essential, with simple unadorned rooms,’ Ben says.
With a pool, diving board, barbecue, tennis court, in-ground trampoline, and a basketball ring all on the one property, Ben says it’s impossible not to have a good time at this house. ‘Summer is sorted, no matter how old you are.’
Thanks for sharing very nice blog post
Lovely! Is there a source for the living room rug? It’s dreamy.
Oh wow. I think this might be my dream home. I love the front of the house and the outdoor shower. So beautiful!
I love to see people restore/ renovate to the original style of the house & keep the character. This is a perfect example of that, making it larger & suited to modern living yet preserving the style & character of the original home. Love it! It’s crisp clean & oozes personality & warmth!