A once smaller Victorian home received a much needed “pod” addition to accommodate a family of five if Fitzroy North. Nic Owens Architects was quick to renovate the home to provide the family with the space they needed while leaving the home’s original carbon footprint intact. The addition proves quite impressive, particularly when viewed from the backyard, which you can see from the pictures below.

Introducing the Exterior

From the front, the home seems like your standard Victorian. Intricate trim and traditional siding offer the appearance of a non-assuming home. However, appearances change once you view the home from the rear.

The crew removed the 1980s skillion extension to make room for the addition of a “pod.” A timber deck accommodates the pod area, providing the family with plenty of space for outdoor entertainment. Square paving bricks offer a sleek pathway up to the deck.

Since the new pod area contains large windows to offer lighting improvement, the designers also included a controlled device for solar shading. Since the pod faces the west, solar shading allows the homeowners to combat the harshness of the afternoon sun.

Enjoying the Interior

Thanks to renovations made to the existing interior combined with the addition of the pod, the family now gains plenty of enjoyment from their home. Interior renovations and additions made include:

A social space: The pod added a social space to the home that includes a family room, kitchen, and a place for the family to enjoy meals together
Updated facilities: The original part of the home that remained intact received an update to help accommodate the family better, yet the layout and appeal of the home remains the same
Modern bathroom accommodations: Sleek, dark tile flooring and a glass, white, and dark tile shower enclosure offers a modern feel, while a window and skylight offer plenty of natural lighting
Traditional features: Many traditional features remain throughout the existing part of the Victorian, such as stunning arched doorways highlighted by simple, yet defined trim
Simple yet sleek and modern kitchen: The kitchen area is simple, yet sleek and modern with a minimalistic appearance. The white cabinets and countertops combined with the stainless-steel look of the appliances offers a clean, relaxing space to prepare meals

With so much open space flanked by floor to ceiling windows, the family of five can enjoy time spent together while also enjoying the view. Because the pod’s floorplan is so open, the person preparing meals never feels separated from the family.

Kids can sit down and enjoy playing video games or watching a move while parents can keep a watchful eye out from the kitchen area. Although each space has its own definition, everyone can feel connected to one another rather than closed off and distanced.

The white walls with light wood accents and gray flooring offer a nice combination of both light and dark so that the space feels interesting, modern, and yet relaxing. The pod, which is 154sqm, offers a great hangout spot or the entire family and offers seamless integration into the backyard for an enjoyable day of outdoor relaxation.

Overall, the Pod House proves that a mixture of traditional – in this case, Victorian – and modern is both possible and beneficial.

Design by Nic Owen Architects