Location: Melbourne, VIC
Architect: Sibling Architecture
Completed: 2025
Products used: Cork flooring in Originals Shell
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.
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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