Riverview Entertainer

Some homes hide their best qualities. Accessed via a lush, long private driveway tucked in behind its neighbours, this single-level home had everything a family could ask for – a pool, established gardens, and privacy that felt a world away from the outside. What it lacked, however, was a floor plan that let this family enjoy it to its best, with the multiple family and friends which always ended up congregating here. The original kitchen sat enclosed and separate from the centre of the home, the living and dining didn’t quite have the breathing room needed for a growing young family who entertains frequently, and flow to the garden and pool was awkward.

MILEHAM’s answer was not to build a bigger home, but to make the existing floor plan think harder, capitalising on unused space and realising the potential of what was already there for the taking. The resulting footprint grew by barely a room; yet the plan – and the way this family lives – completely changed. Removing cumbersome internal walls allowed the kitchen to finally breathe and socialise. Flipping an unused external verandah into the interior footprint enabled the dining and living to open into one generous space around the fireplace with abundant new light and multiple French door access to the garden. The whole plan now flows towards the covered entertaining terrace, with easy access to the pool and garden beyond. It is the same house, but it’s now an entirely different home.