renovations and extensions
More space, more light, a warmer home, without starting again.
A home reworked to fit how you'll really live.
We're a multi-award-winning practice of registered architects and interior designers, designing renovations and extensions for clients across Launceston, Hobart, Melbourne and Australia wide.
every home has more in it than you can see. we help you find it, and bring it to life
Behind every home is a better one: more light, better flow, a kitchen open to where people gather, a place that feels calm and warm to be in. We find that potential and bring it to life, putting the money into what changes how a home feels and lives, not what doesn’t, so it fits how you’ll actually use it and is worth more for it.
And it doesn’t have to be a big job. A single bathroom, a new kitchen, or a major extension, we’re happy to help.
The questions everyone asks
Every project starts with the same handful of questions.
Here is how we answer them.
“Should we renovate, extend, or knock down and start again?”
It comes down to your budget, your site and what you want to achieve. Major decisions like this are exactly what we explore in sketch design, testing each path and what it would take, and we’ll tell you straight, even when the honest answer is less work for us.
“Where do we even start?”
We start with your brief. We meet at your home, measure up, and work through your needs vs wants framework, so the design is grounded in what your home has to do and what you’d love to explore.
“Who do we actually need to hire?”
Start with us. Design, interiors and approvals are handled in-house by one team, an interior designer alone typically can’t certify plans, which is how people end up hiring a second firm mid-project. When your project needs a builder or consultants, we bring them in and coordinate them as required.
“What will it actually look like?”
You’ll see it before it’s built. We design in 3D, and every selection, finishes, fittings and fixtures, comes with an image and a description, so nothing is left to your imagination.
“What is this really going to cost?”
Full transparency, from the start. You see an honest picture of the whole project, not just the build, so you can explore your options and see the value in what you’re spending, whatever your budget.
“Won’t the budget blow out during the build?”
Most of it comes from decisions and structural questions left too late. Because we work as one team from the start, the design team, you and the builder, most of it is worked out in design, well before the build.
a renovation is full of possibilities. our job is to make it feel simple
You come to us with an idea of what you want, and we bring the vision to make it real. A project with a hundred directions becomes something you can visualise, cost and understand.
That is what we do every day. Our process is built on collaboration, the design team, you and the builder working together from the start, so the hard questions are resolved while it is still design. That teamwork works out most of what an older home might otherwise spring on you, before the build begins.
see your renovation before you build it. start with a sketch design
A renovation is hard to picture until it is drawn. So for a substantial renovation, a multi-room project, or when you are weighing up your options, we start here: a couple of different layouts, side by side, each with an estimated cost. You see them on paper instead of imagining them, and compare not just how they look and feel but what each would take to build.
From there you narrow it down to the direction that fits your family and your budget, before you commit to the full design and the build. Fixed fee, no obligation to continue.
For a smaller, clearly defined job, a single kitchen or bathroom, there is no need for this step and we go straight to design.
a renovation opens the whole home up. your one chance to fix the cold and damp for good
With everything open, making a home warm, dry and healthy costs less than it ever will again. But it is easy to get wrong: seal a home up without letting the moisture inside escape, and a warmer home can turn into a damper one, with condensation and mould that were not there before.
We treat it as one system, sealing, insulating and fresh air together, so it comes out warmer and drier, not warmer and damper. Our team includes a certified Passive House Designer, and our studio are members of the Australian Passivhaus Association, so we bring that to renovations, not just new builds.
design, interiors and approvals, all in one place
It is the question that trips people up: who do you actually hire? For a renovation or extension that touches the building, it is more than one job. It has to be designed, it has to work day to day, and it has to pass building approval.
An interior designer is great at shaping how a space looks and feels. But typically they cannot certify plans for building approval, so depending on the work, you may need someone else involved as well, an architect or building designer. And the moment a project has more than one party, you have more than one set of plans to coordinate, which is where problems creep in: variations on site and rooms that do not work the way they were drawn.
We are architects and interior designers in one practice, so design, interiors, compliance and approvals sit with one team that owns the whole thing.
How we work
From the first call to the finished build, it all runs through one team.
book a discovery call
A free, no-obligation call to get started.- understand your home, goals and budget
- work out the right path for your project
You’ll walk away with: a clear picture of what’s possible and the right path forward.
design and approvals
The biggest part, run as one coordinated process.- sketch design and options
- 3D concept design and budget pricing
- interiors, materials and selections
- full drawings and building approvals
You’ll walk away with: approved, build-ready drawings, every selection chosen, illustrated and priced.
3.
construction
We stay involved right through the build.
- builder coordination and site reviews
- design support as questions come up
You’ll walk away with: your finished home, built to the design.
Budget is an open conversation, the whole way through. We talk about cost honestly from the first call, so you always know where things stand and can see the value in what you’re choosing.
What will it cost to work with us?
Every renovation and extension is different, so cost comes down to scope. On a discovery call we scope yours, explore your options and quote from there, so you can weigh the value and decide with confidence.
- kitchen or bathroom renovation
- whole-home renovation
- extension or addition
- additional level
- heritage renovation
- interior design
Frequently asked questions
Should I use an architect or an interior designer?
They do different things, and the trap is assuming one covers it all. An interior designer shapes the finishes and the feel of a room, but typically cannot certify plans for building approval, so the moment you move walls or add space you also need an architect or building designer. We are both under one roof, so design, interiors, compliance and approvals sit with one team.
We design around the whole picture, not just how it looks:
- flow
- function
- aesthetics
- how the home will actually perform
- the people living in it
How much do renovations and extensions cost?
There is no single number, and anyone who gives you one without seeing your home is guessing. It comes down to your site, your selections, and how far you go: a cosmetic refresh of new paint and fittings sits at one end, and moving walls or going back to structure at the other. That spread is exactly why published figures never agree.
What if there are hidden problems once the walls are open?
Some unknowns come with renovating an older home, that is just the nature of it. What we do is design out the avoidable ones early, with the builder brought in during design and proper investigation and documentation before the build. The possible unknowns we flag up front, so they are planned for rather than sprung on you. That means far fewer surprises, and far less shock if one does turn up.
Is a second storey cheaper than extending out?
Often not. Going up adds costs that building out avoids: stairs, scaffolding and reworking the roof. Where you have the room, extending out is usually the more cost-effective way to add space, while going up earns its place on a tight block or where keeping the yard matters. The right call depends on your available space, your site and its falls, and what you are trying to achieve.
Can a renovation fix a cold, damp home?
Yes, and it is one of the biggest wins available. With the walls open, the cost of insulating, sealing and ventilating properly is at its lowest. It is the same work behind our Passive House projects, applied to the home you already have.
Can you work with heritage or character homes?
Yes. Older homes, colonial cottages, Federation houses and weatherboard homes, reward a careful approach: protecting the character that matters while making the home work for how you live now. Where new space is needed, it is designed to sit with the original rather than against it.
Do you take on commercial projects?
Yes. The same approach, one team across design, interiors and approvals, works just as well for commercial fit-outs, upgrades and extensions as it does for homes. If you have a commercial project in mind, get in touch and we will talk it through.
What clients say
Ready to see what's possible?
Start with a conversation, then a sketch design, before anything is locked in. You’ll know what your home can become, and what it will cost, before you commit.