Silver lining

With a look of maturity that belies its youth, an additional wing to a humble cottage, plus inspired makeovers inside and out, have transported this property to another realm.

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A mid the rolling hills of the Mornington Peninsula, Main Ridge Cottage is an extension designed by Matt Gibson of Matt Gibson Architecture + Design and built by Teede Building Group. The new wing, lavished with freshly minted interior finishes by Miffy English, furniture selected by Nicole Rosenberg of Liberty Interiors and elegant landscaping by Justine Carlile, transforms an existing modest house into a glamorous holiday getaway ringed by clipped vines and rambling bush.

How did you become involved with this project and what was the client’s brief?

Matt Gibson: I first met them at a parents’ night at our children’s school a few years ago. They had bought the property which had a small timber board-and-batten cottage on it built in the 90s and a garden by Rick Eckersley. The cottage had great character but was small with one bedroom, so they wished to extend it.

What were the challenges of the site and how did you resolve them with your design scheme?

MG: The initial decision was whether to do something different to the existing cottage as a new piece of architecture. We decided to do the opposite, producing a pavilion with a glazed negative-recessed connection that was virtually identical in form and material, using the same radial sawn board and silver top ash battens that will grey off to look as if they were always there.