A Hawthorn home can be beautifully proportioned from the street and still have rooms that no longer work for the household. The architectural task is to understand the value of what is there, then make the changes that improve daily life without losing that quality.
Boroondara’s Wattle Grove heritage study describes a particular group of single-storey Victorian houses: most are double-fronted, with verandahs and hipped roofs. Other parts of Hawthorn differ. The condition, significance and requirements of your own property are the starting point.
Read the original rooms before drawing a new wing
In a double-fronted house, we would look at the relationship between the central hall and rooms on either side. A retained front room might become a quiet sitting room or study, while another accommodates a bedroom. The aim is to give each room a useful role, not preserve attractive spaces that become permanently closed off.
Measure the roof, existing walls and floor levels and investigate the condition of the building. Where heritage controls apply, establish which fabric and views matter with the relevant adviser before proposing openings or demolition. A photograph of a similar house cannot establish what is significant in yours.
Set the garden and new living room together
For an extension, place the outdoor table, trees and main living room on one drawing. Compare a long, full-width rear room with a shorter addition connected to an existing room and a sheltered garden edge. The first may offer more internal area; the second may preserve light and planting. Draw the roof in section so generous cover does not make the retained rooms dark.
The Kew Residence shows our interest in crisp pale forms and warm, curved interiors. In Hawthorn, that language could become a quiet garden-facing volume with oak joinery wrapping a turn into the kitchen. Its size and position should respond to the existing house, neighbouring outlooks and the actual site. Explore the Kew Residence to see the design language rather than a ready-made solution.
Let the bathroom support the whole plan
A bathroom is often the point where an older layout feels most constrained. Place it where the household can reach it without crossing a bedroom, then test ventilation, privacy and the route for services. A high window can provide daylight while leaving wall space for storage, but its position and suitability depend on the building.
The retained architectural concept shows a pale shower room entered through a timber opening, with an oak vanity and storage. It illustrates a possible material relationship; it is not a photograph of a completed Hawthorn project. Moving wet areas may require extensive services and repairs, so compare the benefit with an option that keeps them near their existing positions.
Compare extending with a new home
An upper floor can preserve garden but changes the stair, roof and structural work. A new house offers a fresh layout where appropriate, yet it also needs a thoughtful street presence, meaningful outdoor space and a complete cost comparison. For an existing home, examine renovation, addition and rebuilding against the same brief and property-specific requirements.
Bring plans, photographs and a list of what feels cramped, dark or disconnected. Contact benssur about a Hawthorn renovation, extension or new home; our approach to house extensions explains how we evaluate the choices.
Further reading
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