1930's period home restored
and extended by SWG Studio

Having always wanted to renovate their 1930’s period home, the owners of this existing single story dwelling lived there for over 20 years prior to enlisting the help of SWG Studio to design the home of their dreams. Located in one of the first Melbourne suburbs to be developed according to the pattern of post-war suburbia, the idea was to restore and extend the four bedroom freestanding house whilst retaining the integrity of the original building.

With a love for the outdoors the ultimate dream for the clients was to be able to entertain friends in a space that was free flowing and brought the outdoors and indoors together. SWG achieved this with wide bifold glass doors that connected the open plan living room to the generous outdoor patio that extended at the back of the home.

SWG aimed to keep the design sympathetic to the existing architecture. In line with this, they kept the colonial bars on the existing windows of the original 1930’s part of the house, and the terracotta roof tiles were sourced to match the existing. The end result looks as though the new extension at the rear has always been there as part of the existing dwelling.

mafi Oak Vulcano Brushed Natural Oil wooden floors were installed throughout the existing and extended parts of the house. White walls complement and contrast the dark rich mafi Vulcano flooring, and in effect achieve a lighter and more spacious feeling throughout the home.

SWG selected mafi to address sustainability concerns; the new mafi floor is 100% natural, free from harmful substances such as formaldehyde and provides care-free maintenance. The dark colour of mafi Oak Vulcano is achieved through only heat, wind and water and is a sustainable solution to tropical or stained timbers.

Separation between the front and the rear part of the house was created by introducing a full height glass door at the end of the hallway. This zoned these two areas to minimise the running cost of the heating and cooling system during summer and winter.

The warmth of mafi natural timber assists in lowering costs of heating the house during the cooler months. The all natural mafi oil finish allows the wood to breathe and keep room temperature, whilst the matte surface feels textured and gentle underfoot.

Photography by James Knowler