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Access into the garden is through the side of the kitchen and not the rear. This means the rear is protected for wildlife and the family do not have to go through the garden to access the BBQ and hard landscaping.

Longer lead times are common when you buy large items like sofas and couches, whether in person or online, but you’ll really need to read the fine print before ordering if you’re purchasing online.

In the kitchen, pops of orange and blue break up an otherwise black-and-white palette. The bursts of color are a nod to the hues in the stained glass in the refurbished front door.

The exterior palette of the rear addition is clean and modern. Smooth white stucco walls are punctuated by grey aluminum windows and corrugated aluminum panels. “These two materials frame the landscape that will grow between and around them,” says architect Miguel Rivera.

The modern dwelling incorporates its woodsy-yet-urban surrounds through copious glazing.

The courtyard acts like an outdoor living room, where the Arnolds’ daughter, Josie, plays freely, safe from nearby traffic. The family dines here most of the year at the custom-designed wood-and-steel table. The picnic table set reappropriates the century-old eucalyptus tree that once grew on the site.

Lucky Diaz spent three and a half months on this project, working all hours to get it done. “It was worth it,” he says. “To have Ella grow up in an original space is a gift that is beyond measure.”

A courtyard creates visual separation between the main house and the addition.

Nicole Hollis selected dark walnut flooring and marble accents contrasted with warm hues of gray, navy, and cream. In the formal living room, a Barnaby Barford mirror is perched above a custom fireplace surround.