Project Overview
Once upon a time there was a tired old verandah with turned wooden posts, worn-out decking boards, a perspex roof, and limited versatility. The canvas blinds had seen better days and the timber screens were toast.
In came the crow bars to remove the awning and old deck, and enter the concrete cutter to chip away at the underlying existing slab. Soon enough there was a blank canvas – a two storey brick home now flush and clear, ready for the addition of a spacious alfresco room that would be fully-protected from the seasons – all year round.
The existing home was well-positioned with at least a small causeway on either side, allowing access along both boundaries. The new Alfresco’s footings were established, the frame was constructed, and pretty soon a full-width entertaining room was raised and ready to be enclosed.
Internally, we added insulation, plaster ceilings, Villaboard walls and a superb fireplace with a deep mantlepiece. The floor was created using Trex decking boards for easy care, and two massive double-glazed bi-fold doors adorned the back wall exit points to the backyard.
The brick walls of the home’s rear were retained au natural, and a single door was installed to access what was to become a hidden clothesline bay. Pop on a Colorbond skillion roof and some Dura Groove all-weather protection around the outside, and everything is good-to-go.
Matt Goodie, Managing Director of Custom Outdoor Living, designed the project and included a customised full-width kitchen in Iron Grey, with a six-burner barbeque, a double wine fridge, an integrated bin and Corian benchtop.
Due to the new ‘room’ being fully enclosed (when the bi-folds are shut) a stainless-steel turbo rangehood was also installed to allow for cooking at any time of the day or night. A key feature of the room was the inclusion of three wall spaces featuring crazy pave stone – around the fireplace, above the kitchen as a ceiling-high splashback, and between the wide doors at the rear.
This gave the look of consistency, character, and a unity of colour that blends with the original orange brick rear house wall. Effectively, the family can now use this large room as an entertaining hub for cooking, lounging and dining. They can throw open the doors and let the breeze flow through in summer, or keep the doors closed and crank up the gas heater on cooler days or nights.
The exit doors were given some useful and practical landing decks, a ceiling fan, a central pendant and dimmer LED lights create mood, and the design also includes some clever skylights to ensure the main house continues to get natural daylight rays.
Naturally we took care of the plumbing, gas and electrical services onsite, and we ensured that all drainage and wastewater was properly channelled, compliant and covered-off at final inspection time.
At Custom Outdoor Living, we leave nothing to chance, we guarantee high-quality craftsmanship, and we communicate with you at every stage to keep you in the loop. After all, it’s your home, and we treat your property as if it is our own.
The owners can now spread their wings as a family, or when friends come over, with the potential to close in either end of the room in the future – to create a new bedroom, an office, or to create a studio apartment if they wish.
Our uniquely tailored design concepts, from Custom Outdoor Living, leave you with a host of possibilities, and, should the owners ever sell the property, the appeal of the extra living space, to a buyer, will be heightened and add dollar value.
