When talking about extensions people often envision something of a box-type add-on connected to the main structure with no particular rhyme or reason. Even if the exterior is seamlessly blended together, simply adding an extra room or increasing your living space by a few feet doesn’t seem to be worth the trouble. However, house extensions can be so much more than that. Creative home extension design plans can transform your household for the better. Here are some house extension design ideas for you to consider.
With the explosive popularity of open plan home designs in Melbourne and a growing demand for properties that organically connect the garden with the house, alfrescos are becoming a common sight in many Aussie homes. An alfresco extension lets you open up your home and create an airy free-flowing environment. Plus easy access to both the kitchen and the backyard makes it a perfect space for entertainment.
Adding a “box” to your home can also be a good house extension idea if you do it right. So called “granny flats” have been getting more and more popular in recent years both as a solution for multigenerational living and as a way to earn some extra money by renting it out. Consider building a studio in your backyard as a convenient accommodation for guests, a way to comfortably share your household with your grown-up children or elderly parents or as a great rental property.
In our era of high speeds and constant informational noise, it is important to find some peace and quiet for yourself. Adding a parents’ retreat to your home is the ultimate luxury for many homeowners. Create your own private resort with a spacious ensuite, walk-in robe and, of course, a grand master bedroom – or, if the space doesn’t allow it, build a secret hideaway where you can escape from all your troubles if only for a little while.
If you live in one of the older neighbourhoods, heritage overlays may prevent you from doing the renovations you want. Adding an extension and matching it with the rest of your home can also be more expensive, not to mention sometimes ineffective depending on what you want to achieve with it. There’s no need to say goodbye to your beautiful period home however. Instead, you can treat your extension as its own architectural feature – a deliberately mismatched element that adds some contemporary overtone to the overall design of your home.
Sloping blocks can create a lot of trouble for a homeowner if you ever decide to build there. However, with the main structure already in place, you don’t need to spend quite as much time and money on levelling the site to add an extension. Instead why not play around with the slope and build a split level extension – adding a sunken living room just a few steps lower than the rest of the structure or an elevated study slightly above the rest.
On a similar note, loft living has also been a popular option for renovations in recent years. If you have enough space above, you can convert your attic into a cosy loft for a bedroom or a home office.
Kitchen design has come quite far in the past couple of decades. Professional solutions previously only available to high-end restaurants can now be implemented in any kitchen. New appliances also change the workflow of your kitchen quite a bit, so new layouts come hand-in-hand with new technological developments. Consider adding a kitchen extension to your home to realise your kitchen’s full potential and transforming your daily routine for the better.
