Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

The Tile Covering This Melbourne Home Is So Shiny It Reflects the Yard

The Tile Covering This Melbourne Home Is So Shiny It Reflects the Yard

A weatherboard cottage gets an open and airy rear addition that features opulent green tile and contrasting spotted gum timber.

Bigger isn’t always better-and this was certainly the case in the renovation of a tired weatherboard home in Melbourne for a client who lives alone. The brief to Circle Studio Architects, a local firm, was to create a retreat that made efficient use of space and could be used for entertaining without sprawling unnecessarily into the rear garden.



"[It] needed to feel like a warm private sanctuary, but also be able to entertain guests," says architect Yvonne Meng, director of Circle Studio. "One of the key points in the brief was to maximize light, and this became the driving factor for how we dealt with the form of the extension."



The existing residence was typical of Melbourne’s northern suburbs, with four rooms at the front and a lean-to added to the back to include a kitchen and laundry. The roof was heavily rusted, and some of the exterior cladding and windows needed replacing. The kitchen also hadn’t been updated since the ’80s.



For the renovation, the front bedrooms were left intact, but the lean-to was replaced with a new kitchen that bridges the old and new forms. In place of an original fireplace is now a cupboard space in the new kitchen, and a laundry has been squeezed into the hallway next to an existing bathroom.



The new kitchen features a gantry over the sink and a restricted palette of black fixtures and finishes that contrast the wormy chestnut timber. Open shelving also helps to keep things airy, and plants and the client’s collection of ceramics and glassware add to the space’s character.



One of the biggest challenges was bringing light into the south-facing property. To bring warmth to the heart of the home, Circle Studio raised the ceiling in the main living space, adding clerestories that capture light as the sun tracks across the sky to the north.



Although the architects were working with a modest footprint, they were still able to enhance the sense of volume and space by leaving the living and dining areas open to one another. For yet a greater sense of openness, the singular room connects to a deck through a large steel-framed door. "The kitchen didn’t need to be large, and the client placed importance on having a connection to the outdoors," explains Meng.



The curvature of the deck echoes the spotted gum cladding that contains the living area’s window seat, which offers a more intimate way to connect to the outdoors: The small, private nook provides the client with a moment to read a book or enjoy a drink while overlooking the yard.



The green tiles covering the rear facade-perhaps the most distinguishing feature of the renovation-are inspired by the old pubs of North Melbourne. "We love how the exterior tile cladding is so reflective, causing it to mirror the garden and literally create a green wall," says Meng. "In that way, it’s kind of like an extension of the garden as the reflections of the trees change on the surface throughout the day."



Though the addition to the home is small in size, it has made a huge difference for the client’s lifestyle. "The once cold, dark, south-facing weatherboard has been transformed into a warm, light, bright space that makes Melbourne lockdowns a dream," says Meng. "Our client often tells us about the delightful, spontaneous moments that occur as a result of the design-like the reflection and shadow of clouds on walls as the sun moves throughout the day via the clerestory windows."


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×