Second Storey renovation and remodelled floorplan in Ascot

Background 

Built in 2001, this large two storey home had 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, an office, formal Living room, informal living, kitchen and dining with an outlook over the upper reaches of the Swan River. The homeowners were close to retirement, and even though they initially bought the property as an investment property, they fell in love with the unique location and decided to customize the home to suit their unique needs and live here instead. They decided that this would be the ‘ forever’ home they retire to and live in for the next 20 plus years, along with their two large and lovable Mastiffs – Chester and Paddington. 

The brief was to create a more open plan feel to the home and to create more livable outdoor spaces as the living areas and alfresco area were rather poky. The existing swimming pool took up a lot of the outdoor space and the owners decided they had no need for a pool. Internally they also wanted to make better use of the spare rooms, rather than have empty rooms. 

As this is their forever home, they were mindful that the stairs could be a problem in the future and as such one of the big-ticket items they wanted was to install a lift. The idea for the lift was also with their pet dogs in mind. With two large mastiff dogs that weigh upwards of 75kgs, they knew that they would not be able to carry their dogs upstairs and wanted to be able to have their companionship as the dogs got older too.  

Overview of the Major Renovation and Remodeling Project 

This was an extensive and comprehensive home renovation project to an existing 2 storey home that included a significant remodeling of the floorplan, remodeling and renovation of the exterior and outdoor living areas and a complete top-to-toe renovation of every room internally. Many unique and custom requests have been built into the home, including the installation of a lift, construction of a custom-built fish tank and modifications to allow for the two very large and pampered pet dogs! 

At the rear of the home, Amerex remodeled the floorplan to open up the segmented rooms in the living area to create a more spacious look and feel and to create a better flow from the indoors to the outdoors. The owners decided they had no need for a pool, so the swimming pool was removed and in its place a sunken conversation pit was created, surrounded by stunning travertine paving and with a focal point of a central fire, a custom-built water feature, all with a view across the green to the Swan River. 

On the ground floor, the living areas were remodeled and opened up to create space and light. The kitchen was transformed with a more modern layout. The floorplan was remodeled to include a scullery which sits discreetly tucked away from sight behind the kitchen and this was the location of the old kitchen. The new kitchen features many custom requests from the clients including a double integrated fridge and a large feature stone benchtop with custom rolled edges to prevent the owner’s dogs from bumping their heads on any sharp corners or edges on the stone. 

Creating the open living areas on the ground floor sounds rather straightforward however it was more complex than it appears. Because the home was already a two storey home with a suspended concrete slab, it required clever engineering and building know-how to remove supporting walls to open up the living areas without compromising the structural integrity of the second floor. To do this required a lot of support props and new steel beams to be craned onto site and columns installed to provide the support required for the second floor. 

Further remodeling of the floorplan on the ground floor converted the large laundry area into a powder room along with a purpose-built dog shower room with half-door doggie door and a new smaller laundry with access from the garage. What was once a large ground floor bathroom was turned into a large custom-built aquarium, complete with a service room behind it, for the owner’s stunning aquatic creatures.  

At an overview, the following renovations took place externally: 

Removal of the old swimming pool. 

Completely new hard and soft landscaping including extensive travertine paving, tree planting, flower beds, fish ponds and a water feature. 

Built-in barbecue with limestone feature wall and custom-built timber doors and a flat–plate with granite surround. 

Circular, tiered, sunken conversation pit with terraced travertine paving and a custom–made fire pit with led-strip lighting. 

Installation of a water feature using the owner’s own unique metal artwork. 

Undercover alfresco area with a custom-installed sun–roof that allows the light and shade to be controlled creating an all-year-round outdoor area. 

New garage door to match the updated colour scheme. 

New fencing and wrought iron gates to the front to match the rear and to provided an enclosed yard space for the dogs. 

External painting. 

At an overview, the following renovations took place on the ground floor: 

Significant remodeling and engineering of the living areas with a flow from the indoors to the outdoors. 

Installation of a stunning and unique three-sided gas fireplace with granite surround and a custom-built gyprock curve in the living area. 

Custom-made triple fish tank with complete osmosis and filtration with a custom granite surround. 

Completely new kitchen featuring two ovens: a free-standing entertainer’s oven and a wall oven for everyday use. The high-end cabinetry features an integrated fridge and freezer and an integrated dishwasher with blue pearl granite throughout the kitchen.  

A large scullery is neatly tucked away behind the kitchen providing stacks more storage space, preparation area and a sink. 

Dog shower with a custom–made doggie door! 

Increased the width of doors to the bathroom and toilet to allow for potential future accessibility requirements. 

Installation of custom–made feature timber Marri doors to the kitchen from the entry, installed with pivots to make them easy to open and close by pushing either way. 

The stairs that provided the link from the ground floor to the second storey remained in place and alongside it a new lift was installed. 

Upstairs, significant remodeling and renovations took place including: 

In the master bedroom, three windows in the master bedroom were replaced with one large window which provides for spectacular and uninterrupted views of the Swan River. What a spectacular sight to wake up to each morning! 

The ensuite bathroom was completely renovated with an avocado shaped bath made from a stunning matte black stone. This was specifically chosen by the owners to remind them of a special holiday in the Maldives. The existing window was removed and replaced with a much larger window to provide a better view over their landscaped gardens across to the Swan River. 

On-trend black matte plumbing fixtures were chosen throughout the renovation – including a black toilet! 

A spare bedroom was converted to a fully fitted–out dressing room.  

The new lift was installed into the area that was previously an entrance foyer which conveniently provided the perfect place on the floorplan for the lift.  

This extensive and comprehensive renovation also included overall improvements: 

Internal painting throughout in colours chosen in some rooms to complement the owners artworks and tapestries that they have collected over the years from their world travels.  

Restoration of the timber floor parquetry which was sanded back and polished to look brand new again. 

High-end Caesarstone to wet areas such as Laundry, Ensuite and Bathrooms. 

Electrical – use of the Clipsal Iconic Range throughout and new lighting fixtures throughout. 

Security – top of the range, high-end monitored security system and cameras throughout. 

New window treatments were installed throughout. 

High-end quality workmanship throughout. 

Renovation with Innovation 

There are many innovative features in this home that set it apart from a standard renovation. These include: 

Engineering solution required for the opening up of the living areas on the ground floor to support the suspended second floor concrete slab. 

Sun-roofs externally to allow control of light and shade utilising solar passive design principles. 

Installation of a stunning and unique three-sided gas fireplace with granite surround and a custom-built gyprock curve in the living area. 

Custom-made triple fish tank with complete osmosis and filtration with a custom granite surround with feature lighting. 

Installation of a residential lift. 

Replacement of three windows with one large opening. 

Custom-built circular conversation and fire-pit alongside the custom-built bbq area. 

Design effectiveness and Visual Appeal of the renovation

The remodeling of the external areas of the home has provided the homeowners with much more liveable spaces than they would have had otherwise. It has also provided several zones externally to provide for greater liveability. There is the conversation pit zone, the bbq area and the undercover alfresco. The rear of the home has been designed to be used all year round by providing a firepit that can be used in winter but put away in summer if required. The rear of the home now allows the owners to use the outdoor space more effectively but also enables them to better enjoy the unique location of the home and create a better connection to the location next to the river. 

The design effective of the existing home itself has also been enhanced to allow the owners with the ability to enjoy the river aspect and view. This has been facilitated by replacing rear facing windows upstairs with much larger windows in the main bedroom and in the luxury bathroom, providing great personal spaces from which to enjoy the great and beautiful aspect over the Swan River. 

Downstairs, remodeling of the floorplan has opened up the living areas which were previously segmented and did not flow. In particular the re-design has created a flow from the indoors to the outdoors and with increased space both inside and outside, the owners have more space and more ways to use their space. Many of the dead spaces have now been activated and the home feels much bigger, lighter and welcoming than before. 

The home has now been transformed from a home that was started to look dated, to a modern and inviting home that has set the owners up for a comfortable future all while meeting their specific requirements. 

Innovation in Construction

Some of the innovative aspects of this home include: 

The installation of the steel beams to support the second floor slab while removing supporting walls below required some innovation. In doing this, we developed an attachment to the spider crane to lift the steel beams in place up and under the suspended concrete slab. The attachment was a fabricate bracket that was fitted to the crane to allow for the unique situation of lifting up while under the existing suspended concrete slab. 

The curved gyprock top to the fireplace was designed by Steve and creates a separation between the rooms while also allowing the eyeline between the rooms to be maintained. This is a feature of the new open plan living area that the owners particularly love. 

Installation of water tanks as described below in environmental sustainability. 

Renovation with one eye on Environmental sustainability  

The owners were mindful of creating a home that was as future-proof as possible and as such there were many features related to environmental sustainability, including: 

Installation of two large water tanks underneath the sun-roof to capture the stormwater. The waste–water produced from the reverse osmosis system for the fish tanks is also directed into these tanks. This water is then used to flush the 3 toilets in the home. 

Upgrade of the solar system to produce electricity that goes into the grid. 

Landscaping selections were made to ensure plants were water-wise choices and sensitive to the location being close to the river system. 

All windows have energy-efficient glass with sun block-out blinds. 

The sun-roof is located on the north-side to maximise the aspect of the block utilising key principles of solar passive design. 

Security screen fly-doors on all opening doors to allow glass doors to be open and to allow a natural breeze flow of air through the home – as per solar passive design principles – while maintaining the security of the home. 

The house has been reinsulated with R4 ceiling batts.