Renovations

Explore our collection of Renovations
featured on Lunchbox Architect.

Renovations and additions to existing houses are the most common architecturally designed homes. The challenge with renovations is to incorporate the style and layout of the existing building with the modern needs of the family. When down well, renovations combine the charm of traditional buildings with the conveniences of modern living.

Here are just a few incredible architecturally designed renovations:

New Addition Features Spaces with Generous Sense of Volume

At Datum House the ceiling height, rather than extra square meters, creates a generous and varied sense of space (without the cost).

Cubo House Uses Upcycled Materials to Celebrate Its History

Cubo House is a sustainable home which celebrates its history via restored existing elements and upcycled features using the surrealist technique 'Cubomania'.

East West House Hides a Secret Behind Its Victorian Facade…

East West House, near the top of Richmond Hill, contains the unexpected. A large roof deck is hidden behind the heritage protected Victorian roofline.

Reverse Shadow Casting Ensures This House Has a Sunny Garden

Thanks to the home's unusual form, the garden of Reverse Shadow Casting House will always be sunny and bright.

A Multi-Generational Holiday Home Balances Connectivity and Solace

In an effort to find more space for a growing and ageing family, Andrew Maynard Architects created a home that has shared space and more private zones.

A Weatherboard House Extension Perfectly Suited to Brisbane's Climate

James Russell Architects' distinctive tropical style shines through in this climate-sensitive weatherboard house extension.

Dilapidated Stone Cottage Transformed Into a Modern Family Home

A rundown stone cottage on a sustainable timber plantation undergoes a massive transformation to become a simply stunning family home.

Bellevue Terrace Extension: Flexible Indoor/Outdoor Living

A versatile multi-functional extension can become completely open to the outdoors, or close down for protection from the elements.

XYZ House Extends on Every Axis to Make a Vibrant Family Home

An original modernist home is extended out and up to create more flexible space for the modern family.

Inner City Downsize House Proves When it Comes to Space Less is More

A combination of good design and plenty of storage makes inner city downsize house feel just as spacious as the owners' previous home.

A Tiny 25 Square Meter Extension Attaches Itself Like a Barnacle

A tiny barnacle-like extension creates a sense of camping or sleeping in the berth of a yacht, but with framed views of the landscape beyond.

Hello House: This Has to Be the Friendliest House on the Block!

As you round the corner of this quiet street, a cheery extension greets you. Quite literally… It says 'Hello'.

Bondi Apartment: Relaxed Beach Retreat in the Heart of Bustling Bondi

This apartment renovation in the middle of one of Sydney's busiest suburbs still manages to capture the relaxed nature of a beach house…

Inside Out House: Bringing the Outside In and the Inside, Out

Cut Paw Paw Inside Out House is deliberately incomplete. The owners, asked that the house be 'ridiculously inside-out'…

Elsternwick House: The Answer to a Heritage Issue is Black and White

A contemporary extension of this Elsternwick House is clad in contrasting dark zinc to draw a very deliberate line between new and old.

Fenwick Street House: Passive Solar Design for Light and Spacious Home

This passive solar home was designed to maximise available light and space on an oddly shaped block in the inner suburban Melbourne.

Alexandria House 2: A Terrace Remake Draws No Distinction Between Inside and Outside

At Alexandria House 2 full height glazing and louvers let the house breathe and skylights are used strategically to maximise natural light…

The Plinth House Simple Extension Takes Advantage of Picturesque Location

The Plinth House proves bigger is not always better. The extension provides a more comfortable living space and kitchen in a minimal footprint.

Modern Rear Extension Reinvigorates Patterson Street Residence

After a number of minor additions over the years, Patterson Street Residence is reinvigorated with a modern extension to the rear.

Westmere Alteration Has An Unbelievable Connection to the Outdoors

Westmere Alteration merges inside and out with a contemporary aesthetic and an unbelievable connection to the outside plus upper level sea views…

Peter Miglis House: A Renovation of Light, Space and Air

Architect Peter Miglis lists “light, space, and air” as the elements that form great architecture; he has incorporated all three into his own home.

Watch as Blurred House Transforms from Cali Bungalow to Modern Home

From the front it's an unassuming Californian Bungalow. From the rear, undeniably modern. It's a new type of house — a blurred house.

Erskineville Studio Transforms this Dingy Urban Lane

The future of suburban laneways is vibrant and active if this Erskineville Studio project by Pivot Architects is anything to go by.

St Kilda East House: An Old Home is Brightened With Dining Courtyard

A series of insertions into this period home injects light deep into the plan, making it modern and bright in-spite of its age.

Left-Over-Space House Doesn't Let Even a Skerrick Go to Waste

The narrow Left-Over-Space House demonstrates what can be achieved on the myriad of ‘left-over’ spaces in our inner-cities.

There's a Bedroom Tucked Behind that Sliding Wall!

Sliding Wall House makes the most of a small space by tucking a bedroom behind a sliding wall. One minute it's a desk, next it's gone…

Bridport Residence Addresses the Need for More Informal Living

Bridport Residence extension grabs northern light and creates a quiet safe haven to the rear of the property.

Holden Street House is Transformed in Much-Needed Modern Update

From possum-infested DIY-renovated nightmare to sunny and spacious home, Holden Street House has been transformed.

Tiny Gabled Guest Pavilion Adds Space to a Weatherboard Weekender

A separate gabled guest pavilion adds both space flexibility to an existing weatherboard weekender, making it the perfect family getaway.

Local House is Designed to Enhance Connection with Friends and Family

Local House is playful and intriguing — designed more like a favourite local café than a private house — creating spaces for connection and bonding.

House Bruce Alexander Hides the Owner's Bicycle with Pulley System

A pulley system extending through the atrium of this House Bruce Alexander is designed so the owners can store bicycles and winch them out of view.

Tower House's Collection of Small Pavilions Creates a Village of Spaces

Tower House's owners and their 8 year old twin sons asked for a home 'for community, art and nature to come together'. They got a village.

Modern Two-Storey Extension at this Sandringham House Makes an Impression

What looks like a contemporary shipping container pops out of this renovated Sandringham House.

M House's Modest Renovation is Designed to Transform the Original Home

Small but with delight, M House looks at how a modest renovation can make a positive contribution to the way a family live.

Hawthorn House Embraces the Challenge of Renovating a Terrace

Renovating and extending a typical Victorian terrace always poses a unique set of challenges. Hawthorn House exceeds those challenges.

At Merton House a Curving Dark Timber Wall Creates the New Home's Edge

Merton House reinterprets the bay windows, scale and arrangement of internal spaces to create a contemporary kitchen and living spaces.

Cosgriff House: Semi-Subterranean Extension for Backyard Connection

A new rear extension, much of which is under the existing house, creates a new-found connection to the backyard on this sloping site.

A Grassy Courtyard Fit for a Cow is the New Focus of St Kilda House

A grassy green courtyard fit for a cow (ok, not a real cow) at the centre of this renovated St Kilda House adds a bright new focus.

Baker Street House Maximises a Tight Site With Glass and Double Height Spaces

A tight inner-city site is transformed with double height spaces and floor-to-ceiling, seamlessly connecting the indoors and outdoors.

Fitzroy North Residence Tackles Tight Difficult Site with a Statement

Heritage controls, difficult soil, tight access and a small west-facing block. A delightful, light-filled home on a difficult site…

Matai House Updates a Poorly Planned Home from the 1900s

The owners of Matai House lived in this early 1900s home for several years before the alterations, so they knew what needed to change!

Richmond House Strips Back the Original and Reinterprets the Lean-to

After stripping back years of unthoughtful additions, Richmond House receives a bright and modern interpretation of a lean-to.

Melbourne Refurbishment Has Fun with Colour and Scale

This Melbourne Refurbishment rearranges spaces in line with modern living, but doesn't forget to have fun along the way…

House 3 Finds Enough Space for a Large Extended Family in Melbourne

At House 3 there's enough space for three generations of the one family to live comfortably together despite a tight site.

Floreat Additions is a Careful Insertion of Colour and Light

Floreat Additons modernises a modernist building with colour and light without detracting or destroying the qualities of the original.

Bondi House Inner-City Home Gets a Timber Tube Extension

A renovation of a Victorian terrace house, the Bondi House was conceived as a first floor timber tube above a ground level brick box.

This House Overcomes the Sticky Issue of Building Over the Backyard…

By replacing space lost to the renovation with a roof deck, Stick House ensures not a millimetre of outdoor space is sacrificed.

This South Melbourne House Refurbishment Opens the Entire Ground Floor

Thanks to a clever refurbishment this South Melbourne House becomes a communal multi-zoned space in keeping with the family's desire to live and work together.

Low Cost, Eco-Friendly 'Collection of Spaces' Transform Worker's Cottage

A Collection of Spaces new spaces arranged around two courtyards revitalises a traditional worker's cottage without compromising its historical significance.

A Modern Extension of Thin Steel, Glass, and Concrete Adorns Heritage Home

An extension made from delicate steel and expansive glass feels like a precious jewel has been hung on the original heritage home.

Casual House is a Laid-Back Home Built for Modern Living

Casual House's low maintenance, no frills materials create an affordable yet compelling extension to the rear of a family home.

This Home in Northcote is Designed Like an Oversized Doll's House

Like a real doll's house, this addition is two spaces stacked on top of each other and uses furniture and joinery to divide spaces instead of doors and walls.

From a Humble Brief, North Fitzroy House Makes Dramatic Transformation

A brief that might have disheartened some architects inspires a humble renovation that dramatically improves 'dog's breakfast' house.

Bower House Collects Elements to Remind the Owners of Their Past Homes

Normally we fill our homes with objects that remind us of our past. At Bower House, the house itself is made up of elements to remind the owners of their past.

Diagonal House Benefits From a Sunny Aspect and a Lucky Site

In the inner city it's not always wise to rely on an aspect. In the case of Diagonal House it made sense to embrace a sunny northern aspect.

Loggia in Arcadia is a Modern Interpretation of Traditional Style

Today, thanks to a modern addition, Arcadia bears its name proudly and a family enjoy the peace and pastoral happiness of its setting.

West End Cottage Eschew an Open Plan in Respect of the Original Home

At West End Cottage by Vokes and Peters, the new work preserves and extends the pattern of rooms in respect of the existing plan…

Spiegel Haus Was an Opportunity for Architects to Experiment

A mirror-lined void brings light deep into a square floor plan and above spatially divides the living and dining spaces without the need for walls.

A Discreet Addition Makes the Most of a Compact Site in Armadale

The Armadale House addition creates an open plan living area with a great connection to the garden, maximising the small site.

Barrow House is a Renovation of Rotated Timber Boxes

The Barrow extension appears as an arrangement of timber boxes, each independently rotated and subjected to varying amounts of extruding and manipulating forces.

Big Little House is a Modest but Light-Filled Terrace Extension

When a family of four decide to renovate their terrace on a tiny site, some big ideas need to be packed into a little space.

A Medical Centre is Reimagined as a Modern Urban Home

Northcote House 2 is a three storey urban residence which utilises the existing shell of its former incarnation as a medical centre.

House McBeath a Tiny Terrace Gets a Modern Partner

A tiny terrace is transformed thanks to a new neighbouring addition that compliments and contrasts the original.

Eyelid House: From Dark Pokey Terrace to Generous Light-Filled Home

Turning this tight inner-city terrace into a light-filled, open-plan home for a family of five was a challenge. But was it a success?

Darlinghurst Apartment Proves Good Things Come in Small Packages

Through high quality design, the compact Darlinghurst Apartment provides an affordable option for inner city living…

Winscombe Extension Connects the Home to a Manicured Rear Garden

Winscombe Extension deals with a growing family and a strong desire to establish a connection to the manicured rear garden…

From the Outside, Vader House Seems Menacing. Inside It's Different

Vader House emerges from behind its high boundary wall to disrupt Fitzroy's typical roofline and breathe new life into this Victorian Terrace.

The 1980s-era South Durras House Gains a Unique Studio and New Storage

A new studio and a reworking of the original home dramatically improves liveability at South Durras House.

Concrete Has Never Looked Sexier than at Glebe House

Off form concrete draws on the solidity of an original masonry structure whilst introducing a new materiality at this home in Glebe.

Beeston Street House Recalibrates a Poor Previous Renovation

Not every renovation project is a success. Luckily Beeston Street House has been recalibrated — from unsuccessful to a real delight.

Brighton East Interior: Finessing Spaces to Serve as a Family Home

The clients of Brighton East Interior wanted to ensure their home met the hectic requirements of the family while preferring to not build up.

Semi-Detached House Explores How 'In-Between' Spaces Can Be Better Used

Substantial alterations to an Arts and Crafts house explores the potential of verandahs and decks to become supplemental living spaces…

Balmoral House: What Do You Do When You Have Five Overlooking Neighbours?

At Balmoral House, carefully orchestrated windows ensure the home feels light and overlooks lush foliage, while avoiding overlooking neighbours.

A New Timber 'Treehouse' Revitalises a Humble 1920s Cottage

Tennis Avenue Residence new timber pavilion, added sensitively to the rear of a humble old cottage feels like living in a modern treehouse.

Kids Pod is An Extension to an Existing Home Created Just for Kids

Kids Pod is just for the little ones, connected to the house proper by a glazed bridge. And it couldn't be more fun…

Daily Life Feels More Like a Holiday at Middle Park House

Renovating an inner bayside family home to be flexible as the family grows and subtly remind the owners of time spent on beach holidays.

Maylands Additions Inspired by the Craft and Richness of Existing Home

Maylands Additions is a highly crafted addition that builds on the materials and detailed richness of the existing heritage-listed house.

Constable House Staged Renovation Takes 14 Years, But Worth the Wait

A 1960s Architect-designed home undergoes 21st Century transformation into a gracious new house fit for modern living.

The Dalmeny's Origami-like Extension is Tech Meets Arts and Crafts

Using the latest laser-cutting technology, The Dalmeny is a shack meets tech-science hybrid solution to the generic suburban environment.

Double Terrace House: Two Adjacent Terrace Homes Become One…

Behind these unassuming terraces' heritage facades is an unexpectedly modern home blurring the boundaries between two once separate houses.

House Rosebank's Generous New Living Areas Compliment a Grand Old Edwardian

At House Rosebank, new rear living spaces help the home take advantage of a sunny garden and create a connection with the existing pool.

Long Courtyard House Challenged the Typical Terrace Configuration

Long Courtyard House reorients the typical courtyard to the side of the house to bring in North light and create indoor/outdoor living.

A Clever Extension Dramatically Improves 1920s-Era Neutral Bay House

Carefully curated views help Neutral Bay House to feel brighter, connect to the garden and defy its tightly confined urban site.

Black Rock House Uses Creative Thinking to Overcome Challenges

Black Rock House successfully meshes elements of old and new to create a cohesive and comfortable family home.

Westmere Park Avenue is a Modest Extension with a Huge Impact

A new compact living pavilion defies its size thanks to plenty of glass and sliding doors — effortlessly connecting home and garden.

Single Fronted Hawthorn Residence Gets a Bright Two Story Extension

Even with close neighbours, carefully positioned skylights and double-height spaces make this home feel private, bright and spacious.

Attention to Detail Creates a Home That Can Age Gracefully

A detailed but classic palette, combined with expert attention to detail helps Paddington Terrace age gracefully as its family grows.

Upside Down Back to Front House Reflects How the Owners Actually Live

Too often homes dictate how we should live. Upside Down Back to Front House is different — a redesign suits how the owners really live.

A Typical English Cottage Style House is Transformed Into Modern Home

A series of separate, disconnected rooms are transformed by a central, open planned living space that maximises north light.

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