Introduction

Architect-designed and built in the late 1960’s, Killara House changed ownership in 1973. The new owners were firm friends of a highly regarded architect who had completed his own house nearby in the mid 1960’s. In the years that followed, the architect was asked to undertake additions to the house that extended both the ground and first floor towards the rear, reaching out to the bush setting. The result is delightful.

The addition to the house created two of the most important rooms in the house. The formal living room is beautifully proportioned, having all the iconic features of the architect; fireplace; wall-hung cabinetry; ceiling to floor glazing; leading to oversized, double-height covered balcony that looks out to a steep valley adjacent to a natural bush reserve. A creek runs along the bottom of the site, which turns into a gushing waterfall during rainy periods.

The master bedroom shares the joy of the bush view. The sloping line of the roof, giving privacy and protection from filtered western light through the canopy of the bush. Built-in cabinetry around the bed is original and elegant in its own right, giving the room a natural focal point.
The extension can be read as ‘modern’ in contrast to the brick exterior of the original part of the house that is also exposed internally to great effect.