A House to Gather

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Architect: Sibling Architecture 

Completed: 2025 

Products used: Cork flooring in Originals Shell

 

More light, more colour, for friends

The project: 

For the young couple who are never-not-hosting, A House to Gather is a space designed to stretch as far as their hospitality does. The extension to a single-fronted workers’ cottage in Thornbury centres on a combined kitchen and dining space built to flex between an intimate weeknight meal and a long lunch for thirty of their nearest and dearest. Natural cork flooring, skylights, colourful joinery, and custom tiles by a local artist all amount to a space worthy of a party. 

 

The brief: 

More light, more space, and a stronger connection to the backyard were noted in the brief. The existing cottage was long, narrow, and oriented south, making all three much harder to come by. An ambitious dining space needed to comfortably seat anywhere between two and thirty people without feeling purpose-built for either. That range shaped almost every decision that followed.  

Alongside this, a modest budget and a compact site also meant every material choice had to be intentional, space-conscious, and reflective of the people it was designed for.

Where the design details do the talking

The solution: 

The demolition of approximately half of the existing cottage made way for a new two-storey extension – one designed to feel far more generous than the site suggested was possible. Ceiling heights were lifted on the ground floor, and skylights were positioned with care, pulling light deep into the narrow plan and removing the darkness that had defined the original cottage.

The kitchen and dining room were brought together into a single central space, keeping the owners connected to their guests throughout. Custom joinery in hunter green steals the room, while a splashback of handmade tiles by a local artist adds a layer of personality that no off-the-shelf finish could replicate. A healthy dose of blonde-toned cork flooring runs underfoot to ground the space without competing with what sits above it. Its natural warmth and acoustic softness make cork the backbone of a room designed to be full of people. 

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What our customers are saying

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michele rossiter profile picture
michele rossiter
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My experience with this wonderful company after 18 months of dealing with tradesman, from an insurance claim ,who ruined my floor with poor workmanship I went to see Gary and his team of professionals for help Raz was our saviour from our first meeting in my home to the finished product he was amazing I recommend this company to everyone for their knowledge and expertise The lovely James and his team who layed the floor with incredible skill workmanship we thankyou so happy and my home looks amazing
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Jenny J profile picture
Jenny J
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At every step these guys were responsive, informative and efficient - just great to deal with!
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Chester Brewer profile picture
Chester Brewer
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TMB timber has the best quality and design door for great price, after struggling with special order prices at bannings, door galore and door plus I was able to buy same door that’s 2k or more for an affordable price at TMB. Thanks Amarjit for great communication and advice,
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Andrew Wilson profile picture
Andrew Wilson
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Rez Rezak and his team were totally professional. They supplied and laid our cork flooring without any hassles at all and were simply superb to deal with. Highly recommended.
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Blake Boughton
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Spoke with Rez - Right off the bat it was fantastic customer service, even considering what I was after was quickly realized as far outside of my current budget for the project at hand. With the service I received over the phone however, I'm certainly thinking of spending some extra money through Market Timbers for a much higher quality panel. I mean, that IS what they do! Rez helped outline a panel that would work for me and quoted me a price, we had a discussion around the timber and some of the services they would be able to provide when it came to my new home office desk project. What I appreciate even more than what many would call the 'Standard customer service experience' was that he took the time to answer some of my more newbie questions and explain things for me. I'm far from familiar with any kind of woodwork; projects in Highschool are probably the most recent I've worked with any kind of wood. (Highschool certainly lifetime ago) Rez did a brilliant job of assisting me; with both his patience for my questions and the quality of his woodwork knowledge it provided me with some much-needed direction on my new desk project. From a slightly hungover Saturday morning call that could have gone any way - it was a fantastic experience. 10/10 would recommend giving the blokes down at Market Timbers a buzz if you've any timber related projects coming up!
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Emma O profile picture
Emma O
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Excellent service from Rez, Andrew and co, from the first enquiry to the finished cork floor. Really appreciated the attention given to a small job like ours. Would definitely use Market Timbers again.
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Ferenc Jakab profile picture
Ferenc Jakab
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The cork flooring is a fantastic product. We are situated 5 hours from Melbourne but Asad made our purchase easy, with technical advice, sending samples, helping us to estimate the quantity of flooring needed and arranging freight, which isn't easy at our location. Happy to recommend Market Timbers and their products.
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Sophie Allan
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Asad and the team at Market Timbers have gone above and beyond to help us with lovely cork tiles for our renovation. Even though ours was a pretty small job they gave us great service and even located extra stock of a sold out product for us when we unexpectedly fell short with our original order. Highly recommend Market Timbers.
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Jeffrey Moon profile picture
Jeffrey Moon
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Great advice and communication. Asad and the team were excellent. Delivery was on time, the driver was friendly and helpful. Really happy with the timber quality. A great experience all round.
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