Trends New Zealand Trends Volume 31 No 10 New Zealand | Page 17

From the inside out
Part of a modern extension to an Edwardian cottage, this kitchen
opens up to the outdoors with large doors and awning windows
Updating an older home to suit modern
living can require a ruthless approach.
And most often, it’s the earlier add-ons
and renovations that need to go.
That’s exactly what was needed for
this project, says architect Julie Firkin,
who designed a two-storey extension to
an Edwardian cottage.
“There was a lean-to added in the
1970s that needed to be demolished,” she
days. “It took up too much of the small
site and was in bad shape – and the living
areas were very crammed.”

Firkin says the kitchen needed to be
central to the design. The owners, who are
very keen cooks, wanted to be able to keep
an eye on their children playing, both
inside and out, while they were working
in the kitchen.
“They also wanted a sustainable
design, so we teamed natural timbers
from a renewable resource with concrete.
Other passive design features, including
a cantilevered upper level, help to ensure
the space is warmed by the sun in winter,
yet shaded in summer.”

Facing page: Solid silvertop ash features
throughout the interior of this new addition to an
older home, designed by architect Julie Firkin. The
timber is teamed with concrete floors, a concrete
breakfast bar, and copper light pendants.
Above: Designed for a family with three children –
soon to be four – the kitchen is command central.
The owners can keep an eye on the family from
the kitchen, no matter whether they are playing
inside or out.

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