Renovations

A house can become dysfunctional as poorly planned renovations alter the layout and strip away original details. But it can be fixed!

An addition sitting high and dry (literally) above the flood level, creates a refuge from the main family home and potential floods.

Wanting a place to entertain friends and family, this new addition creates a grand living area overlooking the garden

This heritage warehouse has been sensitively transformed into a home with the careful insertion of joinery units to divide the space.

Far from the classic box-like addition, a series of unique spaces unfurl from the rear of the cottage, opening up to light and garden.

A series of expert moves brings in more light, improves livability and connects this terrace to its courtyard all without extending.

Bungalows are charming homes, but they tend to be dark. This addition finds a way to bring light into the depths of this bungalow.

The front verandah of this Californian Bungalow is reinterpreted at the rear of the home to create a shady outdoor living space.

Not that you'd know it now, but this sleek, modern-Japanese-inspired home was once a tired '70s brick pad and what a transformation!

To create space for the kids as they grow, this new bedroom wing sits beautifully in the landscape and meets BAL requirements.

Wesley Spencer from RARA Architecture was shocked at a recent auction. Find out why...

The owners would have ripped this out-of-place fireplace out if they'd had their way, but it's become the centrepiece of this reno...

Creating a light-filled addition where the garden and outdoor spaces feel like an extension of the living areas for year-round use.

Creative ways to bring more light into the home, even when the backyard doesn't get much sun, makes this home light-filled and airy.

The charred timber addition float in front of the home, complementing the original cream brick and transforming the street appeal.

This Carlton terrace renovation updates ageing interiors to create the perfect home for a collector of colourful art and furniture.

The amount of space you have is one thing, but its functionality, light and flow is a whole other thing.

An addition to this period home sits comfortably alongside the original, oriented to catch the light and open up the backyard.

Despite a seemingly impossible set of constraints, this terrace has been transformed into a light-filled and sustainable family home.

The renovation of this post-war house leans on mid-century details and views of the native landscape to create a special home.

A generous north-facing courtyard becomes the best part of this house, bringing light, breezes and the outdoors into every space.

Chimneys of the old brickworks immediately caught the architect's attention and she knew this renovation needed to capture that view!

Transforming a 1960s apricot-brick unit into the perfect bachelor pad meant rethinking the space and adapting what was already there...

Before the temperature really drops, now is a great time to start to transform your home with these reno ‘must-haves’ for winter entertaining.

Rather than relocate, this family decided on a Queenslander renovation to create the home of their dreams in the street they love.

Others overlooked this heritage-listed home because of its exposure on three sides, but a playful addition turns it into an asset.

A new 60 square metre addition creates a bright and modern living space for this inner-city home.

Perfect for entertaining, this new living pavilion at the back of a 1910s home is light, airy and open to the backyard.

An addition which doesn't overshadow the original heritage house, but improves the home's spaciousness, access to light and the yard.

If you love the curved lines and detailing of the Art Deco period, but crave open spaces and natural light, this home is for you...

Once home to the local milkman, this quaint cottage has been transformed into a light and bright home with a surprising sense of space.

A simple, rectangular, double-storey addition was a cost-effective way to gain the space this family needed. Plus some indulgences...

This home, inspired by a jewellery box, is perfect for your most treasured people and possessions: beautiful, safe and ordered.

From the street, all you can see is a sliver of the stunning new addition, designed to protect the heritage value of the original home.

At 52 square metres, this two-storey terrace was about the same size as a two-bedroom apartment, now there's space to entertain guests.

Rearranging this apartment opens it up to the views, builds in lots of storage space and finds room for a home office space to boot!

Your builder is the most crucial component of any home renovation project. Here's how to choose a builder for your renovation...

The owners of this whole floor apartment in Manly loved the location, but not the dark unfriendly spaces. Luckily, there was a solution!

Transforming a 1980s house into a warehouse loft-inspired home involved removing the roof but the results are more than worth it!

Every good architectural story needs a hero. In this renovation, it's a striking bookshelf which screens a work-from-home space...

This addition to a post-war brick home has a trick up its sleeve to guarantee access to sunlight despite the backyard facing south.

Defying its narrow site, challenging east-west orientation and heritage restrictions, this skinny home manages to feel spacious.

A west-facing backyard and poorly-designed additions left this family with dark mornings and overheated afternoons, but no longer...

Imagine having a classic modernist house in the family for three generations? How would you sensitively renovate it?

Staging the renovation of this home into two phases made budgetary sense and allows the home to adapt to the family's changing needs.

Clever planning allows this small apartment to feel grand and glamourous. Wait until you see how the dressing room transforms...

The roof and layout of the original home serve as the inspiration for a new addition, but a modern twist creates perfect family home.

This 1980s-era home already had a stellar location. Thanks to an internal reno, it has everything else you'd want in a home, too...

The substantial renovation of this terrace transforms the home, but reminders of the past are woven in to create a rich tapestry.

In many ways, Feng Shui aligns with the principles of good design. Here, Feng Shui achieves a light, harmonious and delightful home.

Three distinct pavilions create the breathing room needed for maximum light and breezes on this narrow inner-city block.

A beautiful new living space wrapping around a courtyard deck plus main bedroom suite creates the perfect home for a family of six.

Pooling for a pool: would you join forces with your parents to create the ultimate inner-city pad complete with a rooftop pool?

The only way was up at this home, but renovating meant this family were able to achieve everything they wanted without having to move.

With the option of renovating or selling, this family chose to renovate to stay in the area they, but that was easier said than done!

With its lush, wild setting, this home could be worlds away from the city and that's exactly what the owners wanted to achieve.

Architects show us some of their proudest moments and explain what they love so much about what they do.

Planning to build or renovate? Get your hands on some of these brilliant architect-recommended books to help you on your journey.

By rethinking the layout of this home, a more efficient plan that's perfect for modern living was found within the existing footprint.

Stunning Queenslander renovation retains the character of the original home while creating a modern addition for a growing family.

This post-war brick house has been transformed into a stylish modern home with a thoughtful addition and creative reworking.

This new pergola uses the original home's roofline as inspiration to provide additional shade without blocking light and views.

An avid collector needed a place to display and enjoy his assortment of quirky objects. Enter Über Shed 2, a shed/rumpus room/gallery.

It's hard to believe 1994 was nearly 30 years ago, but this home was sure showing its age. No more thanks to a fun and bright revamp.

Internal courtyards are the answer to finding natural daylight and preventing overlooking issues in this inner-city renovation.

A more efficient floor plan could unlock the space for an ensuite, open-plan kitchen and plenty of storage without extending...

Originally a parsonage for the neighbouring church, this historic home has been transformed with a contemporary addition.

This new addition is unquestionably modern, but it has an enduring, timeless quality which makes old and new perfect companions.

Despite facing north-east, this apartment felt small and dark not at all appropriate for the capital of the sunshine state!

With only minor changes over its 50-year life, this mid-century home retained its original charm but desperately needed a little TLC.

Full of light and opening onto the pool and outdoor area, this modern pavilion is the perfect addition to this heritage home.

A renovation to a Victorian-era home and detached studio shines thanks to the three Rs plus local manufacturing and craftsmanship.

The owners of a mid-century home loved the qualities of their home but needed a modern addition to bring it into this century.

On the corner of two main thoroughfares, a new room conceived as a large balcony gives this home a way to connect with the community.

An injection of pattern and brings plenty of personality to this cottage addition, perfect for a creative young family.

While older homes have character baked in, they're not built for modern living. But, you can have the best of both worlds; old and new!

A back deck completely transforms the functionality of this home, creating a hub connecting living areas with the backyard.

Creating a home for an introvert and an extrovert means balancing openness with a need for privacy; prospect and refuge.

Shop tops in Victorian-era buildings are often dark and often empty these days, talk about a wasted opportunity!

A long, thin addition on the southern boundary allows this home to maximise the amount of natural light and create an outdoor room.

An addition to this mid-century gem keeps the essence of the original while ensuring it's fit for family life in this century.

Oftentimes when you feel like you need 'more house', the answer is actually to rethink the way your existing house functions...

Downsizing from a large family home to an inner-city pad, this couple were prepared to compromise on space, but not on function!

A thin addition to this home creates new living spaces, but the bonus is a courtyard created by leaving space between existing and new.

Renovating is a messy art full of compromise but, if you roll with it, the result can be the perfect-imperfect home for your family.

With a block of just 117 square metres, this inner-city reno required some creative thinking to make the most of all available space...

Making the complex seem effortless in this addition on a tapering block was not easy, but the results are phenomenal.

Architecture isn't about the bells and whistles. It's about creating spaces which help to improve your lifestyle. Like this home!

A modern addition reorients this home towards the sun as well as complementing and tucking under the roofline of the original home.

Want a sustainable home, but don't know where to start? An architect can help you create a comfortable, sustainable home...

By using similar colours, materials and proportions as the original home without copying it, this addition fits in effortlessly.

Unusually-shaped boundaries can be a challenge, particularly on sites as tight as this; you've got to turn a challenge into an asset!

Previously a general store, this South Melbourne terrace is now a light-filled family home while retaining its character and quirks.

Would you be game to renovate and reduce the size of your home? This design proves it's not always more space you need, after all.

This space-defying addition proves just because you don't have a lot of space to extend doesn't mean you can't make a big impact.

Using passive design techniques, this new living space embraces the outdoors and will be comfortable year-round without relying on AC.

With dated bricks and dutch-gabled eaves, this home was definitely a child of the '90s, but now it's been given a contemporary twist.