This Wahroonga home renovation touched every part of this site from the front gate through to the rear fence. It involved the addition of a brand new section housing a five-room guest house as well as extension and refurbishment of the existing deck, refurbishment of the pool area and extensive retaining walls and landscaping.

The main challenge was to create a space that looked as though it had always existed. The clients didn’t want the space to look new or different to the main house so the roof line has been extended to join the two buildings via the covered deck. In addition, the old roof tiles have been replaced to match the ones on the new building and the entire exterior was rendered and painted.

The guest house features five rooms including a bedroom, ensuite bathroom, lounge room, main bathroom, rumpus room, verandah and storage. It was designed to be used for long-term guests – both homeowners have family living overseas who stay for extended periods – so it was very much designed as a self-contained dwelling, albeit with five-star hotel luxury credentials.

At the front of the house, the exterior has been extensively renovated with the dated pillars replaced with more modern, classically inspired structures. A large double-front door now greets visitors with its grandeur accentuated by the extended entryway. Befitting the new style of the home, a new front wall, with an extra rendered section framing the iron work perfectly, was created with an automatic driveway gate and separate pedestrian entry.

The revamped pool and grassy area provides the ideal space for visiting friends with similarly-aged children to play while the downstairs shower is easily accessible for a quick rinse off after a swim.

This amazing space was a finalist in the 2019 HIA CSR Housing Awards in two categories – Renovation/Addition Project $800,001 – $1.2 million and Bathroom Design of the Year.