There’s a beauty in keeping the character of a neighborhood intact. But a home should serve its current residents, and in the case of these historic Australian homes, that means renovating at the rear. Read on for some of the country’s best “mullet renos”—traditional in the front, modern in the back.

In Melbourne, a Quaint Victorian Facade Gives Way to Swaths of Marble and Rich Wood Paneling

Delightful Curves Abound in This Revamped Cottage in Sydney

Set on a tight, five-meter-wide plot in Annandale, an inner suburb of Sydney, the 100-year-old cottage that Carter Williamson Architects was tasked with renovating posed a challenge: The firm needed to maintain the heritage exterior within a row of eight homes from the same era—while giving the interiors ample living space and lots of light." layout="" credit="Photo by Katherine Lu" photoUserId=""/>

This Playful Melbourne Home Embraces Its Split Personality

A Sydney Architect Deftly Revamps a 1920s Cottage to Embrace the Garden

This Melbourne Mullet Renovation Is a Mood—and It Starts in the Kitchen

A Rippling Ceiling Angles for Light in a Melbourne Mullet Renovation

A Victorian Cottage Expands With a Rear Addition to Accommodate a Growing Family

A Pitch-Perfect Remodel Strikes Harmony in a Home Atop a Violin Shop

The homeowners approached Tsai Design in 2019 with a simple enough brief: to reconfigure the flat and add enough space to accommodate two bedrooms, outdoor access, and of course, a bathroom on the same level." layout="" credit="Photo by Tess Kelly" photoUserId=""/>

A Blighted Boarding House in Sydney Is Now an Adaptable Courtyard Home

Soak In the Greatness of This Gorgeous Melbourne Addition

When it came time to renovate his own Port Melbourne home, Dominic Pandolfini of Pandolfini Architects had a clear goal: “Despite the constraints of a long narrow site, we wanted to create some generous spaces that had a sense of drama,” says Pandolfini. To do so, he retained the front façade of his 100-year-old home." layout="" credit="Photo by Rory Gardiner" photoUserId=""/>The firm then combined a palette of steel, concrete, and oak in the elegant, double-height rear addition. Tall steel-and-glass doors open to the backyard and bring some understated drama." layout="" credit="Photo by Rory Gardiner" photoUserId=""/>

A Curving Rammed Earth Addition Expands a Family Bungalow in Melbourne

When the homeowners of this 1930s bungalow realized they needed more living space for their growing family and long-term house guests, they turned to Steffen Welsch Architects for a creative, sustainably minded solution. “The original Californian bungalow was advertised as ‘quiet at the end of a cul-de-sac.’ We wanted to change that,” says Welsch." layout="wide" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>The firm fashioned a rammed-earth wing that curves off the back of the house and curves along the edge of the narrow city lot. The new home is divided into four zones, with the existing bungalow now dedicated to children and guests with two bedrooms, a playroom, and bathrooms. “Every zone has its own outdoor space,” said Welsch; the front room opens onto the front yard." layout="wide" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

A Cutting-Edge Addition Hides Behind a Victorian Cottage

A 1960s Melbourne Home Gets a Summery Extension Inspired by Caravan Tents

To make the addition feel as if it’s part of the garden, Bent Architecture separated it from the main house with a green courtyard. This layout provides plenty of air flow and brings light from the north into the primary bedroom." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Tatjana Pitt" photoUserId=""/>

A Historic Melbourne Home Is Respectfully Modernized For a Young Family

Tom Robertson Architects deftly tack on a timber-clad volume to this historic home in the suburb of Princess Hill, so as not to compete with the home’s original character. “This was more respectful of the beautiful heritage house,” says Robertson.
" layout="" credit="Photo by Lillie Thompson" photoUserId=""/>Measuring at 1,938 square feet, the house features a large open-plan living area, a private roof terrace, along with a quaint study, and three bedrooms." layout="" credit="Photo by Lillie Thompson" photoUserId=""/>

A 19th-Century Terrace House in Melbourne Echoes the Spirit of Italian Villas

Andrew Simpson Architects and Renata Fairhall Garden Designs created a series of overlapping additions that that blur the boundaries between architecture and landscaping. “The geometry creates varied spatial experiences—expansion and contraction horizontally and vertically—reinforcing the series of stepped courtyards,” says Andrew Simpson." layout="" credit="Photo by Shannon McGrath" photoUserId="6133434444283445248"/>

A 1904 Melbourne Victorian Freshens Up With a Curvaceous Mullet Renovation

A Welcoming Family Home Radiates Out to the Neighborhood in Melbourne

When Gardiner Architects was approached by the owners of a California-style bungalow in Melbourne, the project team was struck by how the family of five know all of their neighbors and are active in the community. As a result, they came up with a plan to renovate the home so that it serves the way the family lives: with a connection to the neighborhood." layout="wide" credit="Photo by Rory Gardiner" photoUserId=""/>

A Pink-Hued Corridor Connects the Past With the Present in a Victorian Cottage

In the suburb of Cremorne, architect Michael Artemenko, co-director of FIGR Architecture Studio, utilizes a fuchsia-painted hall to link up the preserved portion of his semi-detached Victorian worker's cottage to a light-filled rear addition. The building’s heritage facade was restored to its former glory, leaving interesting period features intact. From the outside, the house looks like a snapshot from the past." layout="" credit="Courtesy of Tom Blachford & Kate Ballis" photoUserId=""/>

Like a Tetris Game, an Australian Extension Locks Old With New

The house’s original Californian bungalow facade was retained, so the modern extension is not visible from the street, and only reveals itself as the user walks through the old house." layout="" credit="Add credit" photoUserId=""/>

Related Reading:

10 Mullet Homes That Are Traditional in the Front, Modern in the Back

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A Rippling Ceiling Angles for Light in a Melbourne Mullet Renovation