Feneley Studio was invited to reimagine and extend a detached 1950s home. While the house had been extended by a former owner, our client’s vision was more ambitious—shaped by their family’s needs and their love of West Coast Californian design.

 

With a deep appreciation for mid-century architecture and a collection of original furniture, it was important to both celebrate the home’s character and give it new life.

 

A carefully considered palette of materials defines the project: terrazzo flooring, light-toned brickwork, and larch cladding, benches, and screens. At the rear, a single-storey extension creates a bright kitchen and dining space, centred around a circular birch-ply rooflight inspired by mid-century geometric forms. Above, a new first-floor addition provides a fourth bedroom and shower room, expanding the family’s living space.

 

To strengthen the home’s relationship with its garden, the extension is deliberately restrained in scale. An open corner frames a direct connection to the rear landscape, while brickwork continues overhead to create a modernist garden façade. This gesture provides privacy for the bedrooms and bathrooms above, while below the kitchen and dining areas open freely on to a sociable terrace. External insulation clad with slender timber battens complete the design, improving performance and lending a refined architectural finish.