London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

A Postwar Cottage in Melbourne Gets a Light-Filled Extension With a Central Courtyard

A Postwar Cottage in Melbourne Gets a Light-Filled Extension With a Central Courtyard

DOOD Studio helps a young Australian couple create a light and bright addition to their previously dark home, which the owner-builder clients lived in throughout the construction process.

Undertaking a complete renovation and addition project is no small task-and it’s even more challenging if the clients live on the property throughout the build, or oversee the construction process. But that’s exactly what a young couple with a baby on the way did in the Brunswick West suburb of Melbourne, Australia, to bring their ideal family home to life. The clients, one of whom runs a local construction company called Character Built, collaborated with DOOD Studio to transform their dark, postwar brick dwelling into a light-filled home wrapped around a courtyard.



"I recall site meetings where the clients were living out of a small room while the rest of the house was completely removed, roof and all," says Andrew Stapleton, director at DOOD Studio. "It was a passion-filled project, and the end result is much sweeter because of the clients’ dedication."



The owners bought the home in 2017, and had always planned to live on the property while they carried out the renovation and extension. The structure had been remodeled many times over the decades and was what Stapleton describes as "a mishmash of classic Melbourne suburbia" with Mediterranean-style details. "It was a dark rabbit warren with no connection to the living spaces from the yard," Stapleton says. "The brief was to create a light, interconnected dwelling with a guest wing for visiting parents."



In order to keep costs down, the existing bones of the dwelling were maintained, as was much of the original footprint. The interior, however, was almost completely demolished: While the front two rooms were retained, the back of the home was entirely reconfigured to open it up and create more living spaces. The rear shed was also turned into a guesthouse.



The renovation preserved some original details, such as the ceilings and cornicing, and took inspiration from the "retro suburbia" color palette of the existing residence. Take the stucco render for the kitchen walls and island; the green, two-pack polyurethane cabinetry; or the terrazzo-like floor tiles, for instance.



"The green cabinetry and stucco render is a nod to that motif," Stapleton says. "Blending a minimalist style with the retro finishes created a unique outcome. These are all products that had their time decades ago and are now seen in many new residences. The recycling of materials and styles is an overarching theme of this project."



The theme of reuse is continued in the material palette, which features a number of recycled materials, providing an intentionally dramatic contrast to the period styling of the front of the home. The bricks used for walls and pavers, for example, were repurposed from the demolished sections of the original home, while the cladding is made from recycled plastics.



Throughout the home, one of the most important priorities for the residents was to introduce natural light and create a visual connection with the outdoor spaces. The solution was to lift the ceilings and shift the home so that it faces north into an internal courtyard from all sides. A new, steel structure in the yard was designed to eventually allow climbing plants to create a natural canopy that shelters the north-facing windows in the summer months.



"Building while living in the home was definitely a challenge for the clients, but the owner also being the builder meant we were constantly spitballing ideas about how we could improve the design," says Stapleton, adding: "Thinking on the fly was part and parcel of the project."



Floor plan of Brunswick Green by DOOD Studio

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×