Pinterest House

Pinterest House is an extension and renovation of an early 1900s timber bungalow in Shenton Park, Western Australia. The original home is typical of a suburb that developed between 1900 and 1939, where a Precinct Policy guides change in order to protect the established neighbourhood character.

With the rear of the site facing south, a central design move was to separate the new living and kitchen space from the original house with a courtyard. This draws northern light into the main living spaces, opens up cross ventilation and creates a close connection to the garden, a marked change from the small, dark south-facing kitchen and meals area it replaced.

Reconnecting the home with its garden was a second priority. The original house was cut off from a generous, leafy backyard. Now the garden is visible the moment you step through the front door, and the courtyard breaks the journey along the central corridor that leads to the new kitchen and living area. The interior throughout is light and bright, with crisp white cabinetry and concrete floors in the new build set against the character of the original house.

The design is sensitive to its setting, with only a hint of the new work visible from the street, helping to preserve the suburb's established character. The rear elevation is contemporary and reads as a clear contrast to the original home without feeling out of place, with the old and the new connected through scale, materials and the pitch of the roof.

The project covers 240 square metres on a 420 square metre site, across two levels, and was completed in 2017.

Architect: Sandy Anghie Architect (Sandy Anghie). Photography: Dion Robeson.