H&G ADVICE
AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN / 169M
ichelle and Wayne Flekser were living in a
semi-detached cottage in Sydney’s east,
dreaming about expanding their living
quarters, when they spied a For Sale sign on a pair of
1920s semis in the next street. They realised it was a
perfect opportunity to turn two into one.
“The selling agent was promoting the idea that each
semi could be built up a storey with the new owners
retaining one half and renting out its twin, but we had
other ideas,” says Michelle. “We immediately visualised
creating a one-level family home similar to the one we
loved living in, but on a more spacious scale.”
An amazing transformation followed, with much of
the building retained by reassigning rooms. The party
wall was kept at the front but knocked out at the rear to
make way for an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area,
which takes the place of the old sections that had
contained bedrooms, dining rooms and kitchens.
For the parents’ suite, a small front bedroom was
enlarged by merging it with the adjoining balcony; and
it gained an ensuite and petite walk-in wardrobe from a
converted side porch. The two former living rooms
became the children’s bedrooms and one semi’s bathroom
was converted into a family bathroom. The other semi’s
bathroom made way for a side entrance hallway. “A new
entrance at the front would have been expensive and we
would have had to sacrifice a room,” says Michelle. >AT A GLANCE
Who lives here Michelle Flekser, a marketing
manager, Wayne Flekser, a digital marketing specialist,
and their children Charlotte, six, and Kai, four.
Timeline Planning and DA approval took four
months; construction a further four.
Design/construct Cape Cod Australia;
http://www.capecod.com.au.
Colour consultant/kitchen designer
Dwell By Jo, Jo Simhi; 0414 562 055 or
http://www.dwellbyjo.com.au.
Size of home pre renovation 190m²
Size post renovation 240m²Before