Murrumbeena Residence

Part of the Omama Estate, the original home was built in 1926 in the Spanish Mission style and features variegated hipped tile roofs, "feature" parapets, "Palladian" windows, round arched porches and cabled colonettes and pillars.

Chris Connell Design were engaged to extend and renovate the existing home. Removing an earlier weatherboard extension and adding a new contemporary two-storey masonry extension, featuring an open plan kitchen, living, and dining room connected to the garden and additional bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs. The new vertical circulation was positioned in the middle of the plan, through a double height void with a full-length skylight above, allowing natural daylight deep into the living spaces.

The two-storey addition is orientated towards the garden. The west facade was created with a strong rhythm of masonry columns to evoke a classical order. Inside, the columns offer specific views into the garden as well as the patio. External venetian blinds between provide sun control and privacy.

To the south-west, an external fireplace and bench seat aligned to the columns frame the patio, connected to the main house through same use of material.

Traditional building materials were combined in a contemporary palette: rough grey masonry walls, European Oak flooring, dark steel window frames, timber panelling, and rough textured interior plasterwork.