The Pinterest house

Having renovated twice before, Vince and Meme Salpietro had a strong vision for the extension of their Shenton Park cottage.

The couple purchased the circa-1930s weatherboard bungalow in April last year, choosing to live in it for six months before embarking on a renovation.

Ms Salpietro says the three-by-one home, though “boxy”, was remarkably well-kept.

“We fell in love with the feel and charm of the original character home as well as the location being close to the beautiful Jualbup lake,” she says. “It had quite a large backyard so with an extension we thought it had the potential to become our dream family home.

“We knew buying the home we would want to renovate it but we lived in the house for six months before renovating which really helped us decide on what we wanted to achieve: a more practical home that had a lot of light, open plan and could accommodate a growing family.”

Architect Sandy Anghie and builder Kre8 Constructions were tasked with the project.

“The brief was for a new living space, kitchen and laundry downstairs, and a new master bedroom, ensuite and walk-in robes upstairs,” Ms Anghie says.

“I designed the house (plans and elevations) and Meme and Kre8 took it from there. Meme and Vince had renovated two houses previously and knew exactly what they wanted when it came to cabinetwork, fixtures, fittings, etc.

“Meme’s styling is also perfectly en pointe. I have called this house ‘Pinterest House’ because (it) was inspired by Meme’s collection of beautiful images on Pinterest.”

A key aspect of the renovation was the creation of a new main living zone.

“Very little was required to be done to the rooms of the original house which were retained,” Ms Anghie says. “However, the original kitchen and dining at the rear of the house were very small by today’s standards and dark and gloomy — so this was demolished to make way for the new extension.”

This was achieved with the inclusion of an adjacent courtyard, which floods the interiors with northern light and offers a lovely spot for outdoor entertaining.

“The courtyard also provides cross-ventilation and a great connection with the garden,” Ms Anghie says. “This is a huge change from the original south-facing kitchen and meals (area), which was not only very small, but quite dark and gloomy.

“Despite the beautiful backyard and leafy suburb, the original home was completely cut off from the garden. Now you can see the backyard the moment you step in the front door, and the courtyard breaks the journey as you move through the central corridor of the house to the new kitchen and living area.”

“It wasn't part of the original design however, we are glad we added this in during the build,” she says of the fireplace. “It added some extra warmth to the crisp white cabinetry and walls.”

Burnished concrete flooring complete with underfloor heating flows through the main living zone, while a jarrah staircase leads upstairs to the new second storey. The kitchen features matt white cabinetry and a marbled tile splashback. “The backsplash was also something I really love,” Ms Salpietro says. “It's a marble-look tile sheet that’s durable and easy maintenance.”

Overall she says the family, which owns Grand Cru Cellars, is thrilled with their new-look home.

“We enjoy entertaining so the open-plan area works perfectly for this and allows me to be in the kitchen but still feel connected to what is going on in the living areas and garden,” she says. “And of course my husband’s favourite room is the wine cellar which integrates into the kitchen.”