CONTEMPORY

Today's homes commonly feature large open-plan combined kitchen, dining, entertainment, study and family area, parents' retreat, hotel-style bathrooms and ensuite, external entertaining areas, rendered and painted finishes, reconstituted or natural stone benchtops, and timber or tiled floors with carpeting usually only in bedrooms.

Modern extensions are not uncommon these days. with many people expanding old houses, such as Federation cottages, Victorian terrace houses and mid-century brick homes, to accommodate larger families and a modern lifestyle. Modern home extension designs that respect the original footprint and of an older building require careful planning and a thorough understanding about what the extension will be used for and who will be using it.