Hand-Pitched Roof, 4.5m Raked Ceiling: A Croydon Renovation (Fortuna Ave)
Megan and Glen's home was a classic older brick house with an original timber-framed hip-and-gable roof. It had good bones, but the layout was small and every room felt squeezed. The kitchen was tucked into a tight corner, and there was no real connection between the living spaces or out to the backyard.
They had never renovated before, so they weren't just looking for a builder. They wanted someone with the experience to guide them, explain what was possible, and help them make good decisions along the way. Their brief was simple: open the home up and make it somewhere they'd happily spend the rest of their lives.
Getting the design right
For Megan and Glen, the biggest challenge was the design itself. This was going to be their forever home, so the plan had to be right. We worked through the layout with them until they were truly happy with it, not just satisfied.
The final design opened the enclosed spaces completely and rebuilt the back of the home around one connected kitchen, dining and living area. A new alfresco extension turned the backyard into a genuine outdoor living space.
Building it by hand
The rear of the home got an entirely new roof design, with an architectural raked ceiling that rises to 4.5 metres. There were no off-the-shelf trusses here. The roof was hand-pitched on site, with every beam and rafter worked out and installed by hand. Structural steel frames were assembled and craned into place to carry the open span.
This was the kind of job where every detail had to be thought through before it went up. That's the part of building we enjoy most.
Light, space and street presence
Skylights now carry natural light deep into the new living area. Wide stacker doors open it straight onto the alfresco, giving the home the indoor-outdoor connection it never had.
Megan and Glen brought on their own interior designer, and we worked closely with her on the selections. The result is a home with real warmth and elegance, where the finishes and the architecture work together.
At the front, an oversized pivot entry door and James Hardie Axon cladding give the home a strong new street presence without losing the character of the original brick build.
The result
The house was transformed inside and out, and Megan and Glen couldn't be happier with how it turned out. But don't just take our word for it. Hear it from them in the video below.
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