Mentone House

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The Mentone House is an extension to a weatherboard home in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Mentone. This project provides a young family with an extra bedroom, large open plan living area and an enhanced connection to the outdoors.

Additional floor area is incorporated within the form of an articulated black box. Cladding to the addition is of a vertically orientated black composite panel, providing a clear contrast to the restored horizontal weatherboard facade of the existing dwelling. The distinction between new and old is less obvious internally. Existing rooms have been renovated seamlessly transition into the modern new open plan kitchen and living areas. A large island bench is central to this space and becomes the focal point of family life. The bench serves a variety of functions ranging from a place to eat breakfast, to a place to surf the internet on a laptop, to a place for the children to study.

The living area spills out onto a deck which provides a vantage point from which to watch the children playing in the newly landscaped backyard. The deck is semi covered to allow use throughout the year and incorporates an integrated barbeque. The extensive use of timber in this area provides warmth and tactility to the project. The black box house shows the potential for the rejuvenation of Australia's aging housing stock on a limited budget. This project not only increases the value of the home, but provides a modern setting for a family to grow.