After a number of alterations and additions had left it in a state of confusion, the Art Deco-styled Elwood Duplex has been rightly corrected by de.arch.

The modifications made to the home before its current owners had left the home cluttered and dark. Seeing the need to remedy this, the couple reached out to the practice to assist them in remodelling the home.

The plan was straightforward. Strip the house to its bare bones, retain the original features in order to maintain character and extend the rear of the home with a first floor addition that would allow the couple and their children to live comfortably.

The practice’s addition to the home has fixed a lot of the issues the clientele had in terms of space and storage. The addition houses the kitchen, living and dining spaces, which have effectively allowed the existing dwelling to house the living quarters of the family and increases the home’s functionality.

Storage solutions have been implemented discreetly, in order to not take away from the openness of the addition. The bright interior space was achieved via carefully positioned skylights and expansive glazing looking out to the garden wherever possible - flooding the home with natural light and making it virtually unrecognisable in comparison to what it resembled before the alteration and addition by de.arch was undertaken.

The addition itself is contrasting yet complementary, with its contemporary stylings a clear differentiation to the original home. The monochromatic material palette and the addition’s finishes were selected inside and out to allow for a neutral backdrop.

Bringing contemporary understanding to an art deco duplex, de.arch have brought light, clarity and functionality to Elwood Duplex. The home now features a neutral material palette complemented by an influx of natural light, that effectively brings the home into the modern age and away from its gloomy past.