Gable House

by Sheri Haby Architects

A renovated Edwardian home given new life to last the ages.

The Gable House is a revitalised Edwardian timber cottage located in the quiet suburb of Sandringham in Melbourne.

Close to the train station, shops and the beach, and typical of the period houses in the area, the original house suffered ailments of a south orientation and poor room configuration.

Maintaining the heritage of the house, Sheri Haby Architects retained the period house at the front, and focused their energy on restabilising the interior, converting it into a much more modern and open space.

The bathroom and laundry were refurbished and reworked to include a separate powder room. At the rear of the house the new addition was kept as small as possible to retain the rear garden and meet Council requirements for site coverage.

Two gable roof forms were added, one each for the main bedroom and family area, to lift the ceilings and give a quality of spaciousness and to allow more natural light to enter each space.

The master bedroom was extended slightly to provide a walk-in robe and ensuite, with is its entry reworked to obscure views to it from the living area.

The kitchen and living area were flipped to connect the kitchen with a new outside deck, while the lofty gable roof form was extended over the deck as a timber pergola.

When the glazed sliding stacking doors are open the whole thing becomes an outdoor space and the interior and exterior work really well together.

To catch the sun a new window and skylight was carved into the east side of the house at the end of the kitchen, providing lovely moments of sunlight at different times of the day.

The kitchen bench juts out under the skylight as a timber breakfast bar.

As the house sits in a street predominantly light-coloured timber houses, materials selected for the Gable House were of a more relaxed and neutral tone, which sits comfortably with the original Edwardian style and its proximity to the beach.

Each space within the home has been carefully designed to create a sense of homey comforts, whilst providing a modern and light influence on a heritage home.

Photography by Lisbeth Grosman.

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