Zero to HERO

A RENOVATION TURNED INTO A NEW BUILD AND THE HOME OWNERS ROSE TO THE UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE

- MELANIE FARRELL

When the owners of this home began the renovation they discovered that the existing slab couldn't support the weight of the planned second storey. So they had to demolish the whole property and rebuild on the existing foundation.

"We took the best elements of our previous homes and updated those to get a more modern look," says the owner. "Although we went for an industrial look, we tried to incorporate natural elements (wooden floors and ceilings) to ensure that the concrete/stone/steel didn't dominate to the point that it made the house feel cold and unwelcoming."

The dropped oak ceiling in the double-volume lounge is one of the more unique features of the property - it looks like a series of interconnected Lego blocks. "I haven't seen anything like it before in a residential space. The combination of the oak and its design make the double-volume area feel cosy somehow," he says.