Lake Wendouree House
Porter Architects
When Tom and Meeghan McInerney bought a 1940s house in Lake Wendouree it was , despite its age , anything but a renovator ’ s delight . Previously owned by two sisters who had lived there for 60 years , the property had been extremely well looked after , even coming with a maintenance record that detailed such upkeep as biannual repainting .
The original timber paneling and ornate plasterwork on the ceiling were also in pristine condition . Nevertheless , the
4 - www . refurbandrestore . co . uk couple was keen to create a light , modern space within their new family home , and Ballarat architect Nathan Porter shared their vision . “ It was very dark and underwhelming ( and ) one of the things Meeghan and Tom wanted to do very early on was have a glimpse of naturally lit spaces as soon as you enter the building ,” says Nathan . “ We kept as much original as possible , but there were some helter-skelter areas at the back that needed a good tidy up .”
The plan was to create two architecturally delineated zones , the original front with bedrooms , bathrooms and a study , leading to a contemporary , naturally lit extension . The existing hardwood floors that were in perfect condition at the front of the house were matched with recycled floorboards in the rear extension , creating a common thread which works for both zones and unifies the new and the old .