Mitchelton House: New Post-War Architecture in Timber and Brick

Here are different approaches to renovating and extending a home. Some want a home makeover that completely strips away the past, extends the residence into one with multiple levels and many, many rooms. Then there are times when homeowners want to preserve the charm of a multi-generational residence, give it a modern upgrade while retaining its past and all the priceless memories that come attached with it. Residents of the Mitchelton House took the latter approach when they asked Lockyer Architects to renovate and extend their post-war home in the suburbs of Brisbane. The new home is both elegant and efficient with “quality becoming more important than quantity”.

Elegant and space-savvy modern extension to a post war home in Mitchelton, Brisbane








The smart rear extension has been crafted largely in timber and brick and this allows it to aesthetically fit in with the existing home. Large folding glass walls can be easily moved to create a seamless indoor-outdoor zone with the kitchen and dining area extending into the wooden deck. The covered deck contains a small outdoor sitting area, custom bench with storage and a barbeque zone that brings everyone in the family together.

Non-intrusive rear extension to traditional post war home in Mitchelton
Open and spacious living area, kitchen and dining space of the revamped and extended post war home in Mitchelton
Smart timber and brick extension brings new dynamics to post-war home in Australia
Street facade of the modest Mitchelton House still remains largely unaltered
Wood and brick extension of the classic home contains the new kitchen, dining area and living room
Wood, white and shades of gray shape the new kitchen and dining area inside this modern home

The transition between the living area in the older part of the house and the kitchen and dining space that make up the new wind is equally fluid. Large skylights and a much more open design end up bringing a flood of natural light indoors. With its street façade still largely unaltered, this is a home where modernity has been perfectly coupled with traditional values. [Photographer: Scott Burrows]

Dining space becomes a part of the interior and the exterior at the same time
Outdoor covered wooden deck and barbecue allows entire family to get together each evening
Transition between the living area and the kitchen and dining space is seamless
Backyard bench with comfortable sitting space and storage area
Brilliant blend of brick, wood and polished modern finishes welcome you at this revamped Aussie home

You’re reading Mitchelton House: New Post-War Architecture in Timber and Brick, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Similar Posts

  • Miner Road

    The clients are a couple of environmental scientists who, along with their two sons, relocated from the Oakland Hills to the warmer climate of Orinda. Their commitment to sustainability, including a request for net-zero energy performance annually, was evident in their thinking throughout the design process. A three-bedroom program began as a remodel of a 1954 ranch house at the foot of a hill next to a seasonal creek.  After finding the existing structure and soils to be unsuitable, the direction settled on reusing the existing footprint under the shade of a Valley Oak that had grown up close to the original house. The surviving portion of the original house is the fireplace which was wrapped in concrete and utilized for structural support. This made additional grading unnecessary and allowed the new house to maintain the same intimate relation to the old oak.  The family desired an open living layout that connected directly to the landscape. A mezzanine plan evolved with a double height family space nested with a master bedroom and study stacked above the kitchen and nook. A screened pacing deck for long phone calls shades the upper level from afternoon summer sun. Downstairs, secondary bedrooms along an extendable hallway, wrap an outdoor dining area situated between the kitchen and family room.  Construction materials and methods were considered in balance between first and lifecycle costs. The Corten steel rain screen for the exterior skin and interior wood were chosen to take advantage of zero annual maintenance cost and a shotcrete foundation allowed formwork to be repurposed for wood framing.  Single use material selections such as the Corten steel and shotcrete foundation reduced complexity in detailing and labor costs allowing a larger portion of the budget to be reallocated for upgraded mechanical, insulation, and glazing systems. The same attitude for interior finishes produced acoustically insulated, unfinished oak ceilings and walls. The sum total of the limited and landscape-driven materials presents a relaxed and quiet built environment that allows the senses to focus on the natural environment. A haptic connection to the rhythms of our planet is evident.  A 14-gauge Corten rain screen provides a no-maintenance skin. High levels of insulation and glazing efficiency reduce heating and cooling loads. An 8.1kW photovoltaic system provides on-site renewable energy and produced more electrical energy than the house used the first year. Rainwater is collected via a waterfall from the roof at the end of the hallway. Buried tanks store water for use in toilets and laundry. Greywater is collected separately and reused for irrigation. Electronically commutated motors and variable speed heat pumps are used to further limit energy use and control heating and cooling. An energy recovery ventilator is used to provide fresh air.

  • Best Kitchen Color Combinations with White: 45 Trendy Ideas, Inspirations

    The kitchen is undoubtedly the heart of every home and it is the engine that keeps the home running smoothly. In the contemporary home, the kitchen is much more than the heart of it all as open plan living spaces have turned it into a social zone that does it all. There are times when […]

    You’re reading Best Kitchen Color Combinations with White: 45 Trendy Ideas, Inspirations, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.