Home Extension Design · Bassendean, PerthVilminore
Extension.

Project overview

Bringing the garden
to the heart of the home.

The Vilminore Extension is a contemporary addition to an existing stone cottage in Bassendean. A modern gable brings the hub of the home to the centre of the block, connecting everyday living to the established south garden and the flame tree that has shaded it for decades.

The approach is one of balance and respect. The new extension is scaled to sit comfortably beside the cottage, neither overwhelming it nor competing with it, so old and new each make the other more interesting.

The design

Old and new
in honest balance.

A modern take on the traditional gable, bringing the heart of the home to its centre and the garden to its door.

The extension takes its cues from the traditional gable, reinterpreted in a contemporary way that feels fresh without jarring. The pitched roof gives the new living spaces generous height and a familiar form that ties the addition to the cottage and to the Bassendean streetscape.

The south garden is central to the design. The extension opens wide to it, so greenery is always present in the living spaces, and the flame tree creates a shaded garden room: an outdoor space for calm retreat that works as part of the home year-round.

"The new should respect the scale of the old: the extension serves the cottage, not the other way around."

The result is a home where old and new belong together. The stone cottage gains new purpose through the addition, and the extension gains warmth and character from its relationship with the original.

Contemporary gable and barn-style extensions are a popular way to add space and character to older homes in Perth's inner suburbs. Done well, the pitched form turns a standard extension into a generous, light-filled room.