This second storey addition and ground floor renovation was a finalist in the 2020 HIA Awards in a very competitive category.
The second storey has asymmetrical lines and black cladding, contrasting beautifully with the original charm of the white restored cottage.
The indoor-outdoor connection is next-level with living spaces connecting to the beautiful plunge pool.
This second storey addition and substantial renovation was also designed by Buildsmart Constructions and was a project finalist in the 2020 HIA awards its renovation and addition category and also for the Residential Building Designer category.
The existing cottage is contributory to the Cooks Hill heritage area and therefore required a design to ensure the additions did not detract from the original, or ‘host’ building.
The design achieved this by hiding the second storey behind the roof ridge of the front miner’s cottage. The addition also enhanced the availability of natural light to the ground floor living area and an upstairs bedroom, which could not have any windows due to the external wall being built on the neighbours boundary.
We worked with our client’s budget and environmental goals to remove and re-install the existing kitchen, the ground floor flooring and some lighting fixtures.
The grandeur and enormity of this home transformation is evident with its huge raked ceilings to the rear extension. It’s the biggest kitchen we’ve ever done!! Our client is a baker who now has an amazing space for baking her amazing sweets.
The Anderton Street project involved preserving the best of the original 1904 weatherboard cottage and adding a modern second storey and rear extension. The rear extension makes use of the previous side driveway and widens the house enabling a much more functional and beautifully finished open plan kitchen, living and dining. The kitchen and living opens onto a rear alfresco and landscaped area and a more functional driveway (accessible from a rear lane). The alfresco area is sheltered by a double-height void created by the cantilevered second storey. The exterior void is walled with timber louvres to let additional natural light into the alfresco area and the master bedroom, as well as providing the master bedroom views of a green wall. The second storey, barely visible from the street view, houses the master bedroom, ensuite and walk-in-robe. The original ceiling details were preserved and repainted and the wall panelling and fireplace were updated in a way that honoured the traditional cottage and also connected to the modern extension and addition.
This project was the winner of the 2015 HIA-CSR Hunter Housing and Kitchen & Bathroom Awards for the category Renovation / Addition Project up to $250,000. The renovation and addition took the best parts of a Victorian weatherboard cottage and transformed it into a stylishly elegant and modern home. Original floorboards, two fireplaces and stain glass windows were fused with contemporary wallpaper, colourful backsplash, gloss kitchen cabinetry and sleek light and bathroom fixtures.
The renovation created an indoor-outdoor connection for entertaining guests and uniquely rebuilt the small garage to an open carport cum additional outdoor living space. Buildsmart Constructions led the team of savvy clients and trusted subcontractors to ensure high quality finishes gave the project a ‘wow factor.’ We were thrilled to help the clients add significant value to their home with it selling for an additional $550,000 immediately after the renovation than it was bought for two years previously.
This renovation and second storey addition entailed a complete ‘gutting’ of the existing dwelling, retaining only the heritage-significant façade. The second-storey addition included a master bedroom, walk-in-robe, and ensuite whilst enabling the kitchen and living area on the ground level to receive lots of additional natural light. This contract was one of several cost-plus projects for the same client.
This project took place over two phases. The first phase included the addition of an outdoor deck and associated living area. The second phase included a loft conversion and a bathroom, laundry, and ensuite renovation to the lower level.
Buildsmart were very proud of our workmanship on the custom concrete and timber staircase, which we offered to build for the clients after the stair contractor was unable to complete the stairs in the clients desired time frame. Buildsmart also installed a solar-powered, remote controlled skylight over the kitchen bench.
