Australian studio Taylor Knights has linked a house in Melbourne to its garden with a modest brick extension, and taken subtle cues for its interiors from the colours in an abstract painting by Wassily Kandinsky.

The single-storey property is located in the city's Brunswick West suburb, and belongs to a creative couple and their child.
They approached local practice Taylor Knights to create an extension that would offer a better visual connection between the existing home and its sizeable back garden, which was being obscured by a "rabbit-warren of compartmentalised rooms".
Wanting the Brunswick West House to act as a calming retreat, the clients also requested that the architects establish private and communal areas where they can relax together as a family or spend time alone.
With this in mind the architects decided to erect a rectilinear volume to hold a new open-plan dining and sitting room ? bedrooms and bathrooms have been contained to the pre-existing part of the home.
An outdoor path sprawling with ivy has been made into the home's entranceway, which leads to a door that straddles the old and new sections of the property.
"This approach enabled the home to operate succinctly in two halves: the original rooms now accommodate more private activities, while the addition forms its new social heart," explained the practice in a statement.

The extension is fronted by large panels of timber-framed glazing that provide uninterrupted views of the g...