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- Wexford Traralgon Extension, Gippsland, Victoria
The Challenge
Homeowners Kelly and Matt initially bought their home in Traralgon in Victoria’s Gippsland as a stepping stone, but after moving in and falling in love with the area they decided to turn it into their ‘forever home.’
“We just love where we live. We live in a court. They don’t make those anymore. We love our neighbours. We’re 45 minutes to the beach, 45 minutes to the snow, and five minutes to my work,” Kelly said.
“So, we’re really happy here, and we just wanted to build on what we already had.”
Jay Langstaff from JSL Builders worked closely with Kelly and Matt to understand their vision for the home extension, adjusting the design to meet their specific needs.
For the upstairs extension, Jay recommended Bondor’s LuxeWall® luxury wall panelling based on his previous experience with the product.
The Solution
“When I had the first meeting with Kelly and Matt, they had a different cladding upstairs,” Jay said.
“I recommended we go with Bondor’s LuxeWall®, because I’ve used that before. It’s just a fantastic product.
“It’s very easy to install. It has very good insulation properties as well as low maintenance. Everything comes pre-painted, so for later on down the track, you don’t have to fix anything up.”
Jay designed the upper extension as a parents’ retreat. It includes a master bedroom, a dedicated retreat area within the master bedroom, a bathroom, and a study.
The extension was strategically planned to provide the family with additional living and working areas. The walk-in robe was a particularly important design feature for the family. The completed extension has effectively added a separate living room upstairs, giving the family more functional space.
Jay said the construction was remarkably quick, “we had the upstairs locked up and doing the breakthrough in about four weeks, including new sub-four walls, roofs, windows, and plastering.”
The LuxeWall® panels not only provided a practical building solution but also contributed significantly to the visual appeal of the home.
The VJ groove finish blends seamlessly with the existing home so that it appears to have always been there. Jay also kept the original guttering to break up the lines and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the extension.
To finish the home Kelly and Matt created a backyard “kids’ paradise” with a cricket pitch, Finska patch and basketball area.
“We knew what we wanted,” Kelly said. “It was really important that we didn’t want to ever go anywhere. So now we don’t have to. We can just stay here until we decide one day to downsize.”
Manufactured in Australia by Bondor, LuxeWall® luxury wall panelling offers an unparalleled combination of elegance, energy efficiency and durability. It includes a range of Matte & Metallic finishes and is available in different profiles to achieve any design aspiration.
This project was named the Best Renovation/Addition Under $350,000 at the MBV Regional Building Awards 2025.
