Making the Most of a Narrow Lot

How do you make a narrow lot home feel more spacious?

This was the challenge for Assetbuild when our client presented us with a narrow lot and big plans to create a spacious modern home to suit their modern lifestyle. The client’s needs were deceptively simple. They had already knocked back the standard designs from other builders who didn’t fully understand the client’s needs. They were unable to come up with a narrow lot design that excited them. So it was over to the Assetbuild team to create something exceptional.

The highlights of this narrow lot design that make it feel so spacious

Full height fixed windows fill the modern kitchen and scullery with natural light, and the Jason stacking doors connecting the large living areas with the alfresco create a feeling of openness. The colours and textures in the timber ceilings and eaves help bring a relaxing soft ambience, and make the outdoor area feel bigger and brighter.

Builder: Assetbuild | Photographer: Michael Baldwin

The open timber staircase in the entry, which features polished plaster and a 1200mm-wide door with an aluminium frame, has real flair, adding transparency and visual appeal and creating an airy atmosphere. It all combines to contribute to the spacious feel of the narrow lot home. The stairs don’t interrupt the line of sight to the outdoor area, making the entry look and feel larger. The extra-wide entry door adds to the feeling of openness – and also comes in handy for manoeuvring large pieces of furniture into the home.

Our goals when designing the narrow layout of this home

Our clients wanted something with wow-factor, and we wanted to create something special, working with their goal in mind – which was to create a modern, open-plan home on the fringe of the city with a spacious kitchen that is great for entertaining. Our clients are also big football fans, so we wanted to make their home theatre perfect for game day!

The windows and doors played an important role in creating a sense of openness for the narrow lot design

Working with a narrow lot, the clients wanted to create a spacious modern home to suit their lifestyle. The Jason stacking doors open up the alfresco and the dining room for entertaining, and the fixed glass panels in the north-facing living room let light into the home to give that feeling of spaciousness.

Jason stacking doors offer the ultimate alfresco solution, giving your home the feeling of large open living spaces. Available in three or six-panel stacking doors spanning up to nine metres in width.

The main challenges of this narrow lot home design

The main challenge was to create a spacious home on a narrow lot. To achieve this, and overcome the second challenge of a sloping block, the home had to be built over a split-level. Assetbuild saw this as an opportunity to creatively design a home that suited the block, allowed plenty of natural light and maximised the feeling of space.