Swedish Summer House by Hindley & Co

Hindley & Co's Swedish Summer House in Elsternwick, Melbourne is a Yakisugi-clad extension and garden studio added to a Victorian weatherboard home, designed in collaboration with Rebecca Parker for owners whose kitchen had been renovated four years earlier but who had bigger plans for the rest of the house.

By extending the footprint at the rear and pushing out the living and dining spaces in line with a new terrace, the practice opened up a roomy main bedroom that better serves the couple's needs. A walk-in robe adds long-missing storage and a new ensuite takes pressure off the family bathroom. Two new desk nooks give the couple quiet space for study. All-day light reaches the living and dining areas through a steel cantilevered box window seat, and through a tall pitched gable opening on the terrace; slightly offset, it mimics the roofline above and echoes the crisp lines of the gabled studio across the garden.

With three teenagers in the house and family visiting from Sweden for extended periods, a garden studio that doubles as occasional guest quarters and an everyday retreat had become a priority. Hindley & Co designed it with a mezzanine loft and the addition should accommodate four for sleepovers once complete. Separate outdoor storage caters for bikes, and a 5,000-litre water tank services a Japanese-inspired kitchen garden and the family's brood of fancy chickens.

The Yakisugi treatment, applied by Ecotimber, is best known as a Japanese technique for preserving and waterproofing timber against extreme weather. The blackening method lightly chars and oils the hardwood cladding to create a UV-resistant coating that improves durability, minimises maintenance and prevents silvering. With Britt Wilson's landscape design quickly integrating, Swedish Summer House is set up to be a comfortable home all year round.

Project size: 185 m² on a 517 m² site, completed 2019, two levels.

Credits: Anne Hindley and Hindley & Co (architect), Rebecca Parker (senior designer), photography by Greg Elms.