Office MI—JI’s 45-square-metre extension of a Brunswick family home showcases clever proportions and an unexpected shape, making the home feel bigger than its footprint. The brief was to create a kitchen that opened out to the backyard.
The response was a bold triangular form, introduced to prioritize opening up the house to the back garden, which featured low-lying gum trees planted by the clients. The existing kitchen had a small door to the north-facing garden.
Office MI, JI co-director Jimmy Carter stated that the laundry was initially in the middle of the garden, and the kitchen’s small door limited access to the backyard. To address this, the original dining room was reworked to create a generous bathroom, separate water closet, and European laundry.
This reconfiguration gave the homeowners the luxury of two toilets while making better use of the available space. The back of the house was then free for a new kitchen and dining space to open out toward the garden.
Jimmy decided against an island bench, instead using the triangular shape to reduce the east-facing boundary walls and let natural light enter the space. The stainless steel kitchen benchtop sits along the wall, leaving the room open to light.
The fridge and pantry are concealed to optimize space, and the design allows for easy access to the garden while maintaining high lighting quality. By controlling the size of the build and using shelves and ledges instead of cupboards and drawers, Jimmy reduced storage costs and budgetary constraints.
The use of a simple palette of concrete, stainless steel, and terracotta marmoleum adds to the openness of the space, creating a sense of largesse despite the small size. The result is a clever triangular extension that enhances the home‘s connection to its backyard.
