transform

eye for detail This month, we look inside a renovation full of clever

personalised touches – like these custom-made leather

handles, which add a distinctive charm to this

retro-style kitchen.

transformBecause every house can be a beautiful home

study

kitchen & living

bathroom & laundry

bedroom & ensuite

exterior

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transform {renovation}

Diana and Ashley wanted more than an ‘off the shelf’ renovation for their Federation-era home

WORDS ANNA McCOOE STYLING JOHN MANGILA PHOTOGRAPHY CATH MUSCAT

bespoke charm

Who lives here? Diana, an interior decorator and florist; her husband Ashley, a technical manager; and their sons, McKenzie, 14, and Alec, 11.

Location: Sydney’s inner west.

Original property: A Federation-era weatherboard cottage, circa 1910.

Timeframe: One year for planning and six months for construction.

Why this house? Diana and Ashley bought the house in March 2000 – when Diana was pregnant with their first son – loving the timber weatherboards and the vibrant, inner-city location. “It’s a bit grungy – we love that!” explains Diana.

Why the reno? The family, now numbering four, was rapidly outgrowing the small house. “It would have been heartbreaking to leave the house we loved,” says Diana.

The brief: Create a two-storey, warehouse-inspired extension influenced by the Cornersmith cafe in Marrickville – the couple enlisted its designer, Cameron Krone of Smith & Carmody, to spearhead their renovation.

The works: The old kitchen, dining room, bathroom and outdoor laundry were demolished and a double-storey extension was built in their place. The old pantry was transformed into a European-style laundry and a new kitchen, dining area and bathroom were built downstairs along with a study, bedroom and ensuite constructed upstairs.

Major changes: The small house is now a spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom house filled with recycled materials.

Favourite aspect of the redesign? “The windows,” says Diana. “It’s about opening up the house to the world and our friends. Now I can watch the sun set and the moon rise.”

timeline

May 2012: Designer Cameron is briefed and plans are created.

october - NOVember 2012: Plans are approved. Builder James Harradence finesses the final details.

May 2013: The family moves out and demolition begins.

The back of the house, covered outdoor area and lean-to laundry all go but existing foundations are retained.

June - August 2013The timber frame goes up, flooring is installed, electricals and plumbing are roughed in and recycled timber windows are installed upstairs.

August – September 2013 Custom-made steel windows and doors and the staircase are installed. The kitchen joinery is completed, the bathroom and ensuite are dressed in a stucco wax finish and the old enclosed verandah is removed.

November 2013 The family moves back in and Diana starts decorating.

before

kitchen & dining Homeowners Diana and Ashley gave new life to their family home by reworking the layout and swapping the kitchen and dining areas. Opening onto the back deck through bi-fold doors, the space is now bright, warm and welcoming.

study Bi-fold steel-framed windows from Skyrange answer the warehouse-style brief in the study, while a window alcove, lined in tallowwood, is an ideal place for soaking up the sun. “I always wanted a wall of bookshelves to display all our treasures,” says Diana of the timber shelves. “It’s a really lovely snapshot of our lives.” >

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SITTING NOOK Custom steel windows by Skyrange were a big investment but Diana believes they were worth it. “That’s my warehouse look!” she says. An elegant vintage chaise lounge makes for a sun-drenched oasis bordering the hub of the home. The construction team painstakingly pulled up the original pine floorboards during the demolition to use in the rebuild.

Kitchen & diningConsole: Custom-made zinc-top console table,

from $4150, Tindall, tindall.net.au.Dining table: Get the look with custom-built walnut table, $5800, Tindall, tindall.net.au.

Joinery: Joinery, including Carrara marble benchtops, from $18,000, TK Design, tkdesignfurniture.com.au.

Pendant: Coolicon ‘Vintage Factory’ pendant in Green, $139* (GBP£76.80), Urban Cottage

Industries, urbancottageindustries.com.Tapware: Olde English kitchen tap in Raw Brass,

$710, Astra Walker, astrawalker.com.au.Tiles: Ceramic subway tiles in White, from $29/sqm,

Olde English Tiles, oldeenglishtiles.com.au.Windows: Custom-made steel windows (as pictured

left), from $3900, Skyrange, skyrange.com.au.

BUDGET BREAKDOWN

kitchen It was important to the couple that the new kitchen had a unique look and feel to it. Cameron answered the brief with raised kitchen joinery designed to look like freestanding furniture. The cabinetry was given a brush-painted finish in Winter Storm by Dulux and leather handles, handmade by Cameron. “We can see which drawers we use most often because they are getting a nice age to them,” says Diana. The zinc-topped console, designed by Cameron and crafted by Tindall Furniture, is adored by the family. “That and the dining table are the heart of the home,” says Diana. >

dining The extension may be new, but is filled will old-world appeal and upcycled style. Well-loved items like a timber display cabinet and vintage armchair take pride of place in this high-traffic room. The elliptical dining table has been with Ashley for as long as Diana has known him and is an important part of their history together. Jonathan West from Tindall Furniture crafted it a new walnut tabletop. “Really he just made it bigger and more beautiful,” explains Diana. The vintage dining chairs were given an update in vibrant red leather for a retro-cool vibe.

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BUDGET BREAKDOWN

Bathroom Basin: For similar, try Napier pedestal basin, $449,

Schots Home Emporium, schots.com.au. Bath: Get the look with ‘Richmond’ bath (in custom

colour), from $2775, Victoria & Albert, vandabaths.com. Mirror: ‘Grundtal’ mirror, $40, Ikea, ikea.com.au.

Tapware: Olde English exposed shower set in Raw Brass, $948, Olde English basin set in Raw Brass, $278,

both Astra Walker, astrawalker.com.au. Wall tiles: ‘Quinta’ ceramic tiles, 115/sqm, Academy Tiles,

academytiles.com.au.

laundry Tucked into a cupboard in the new hallway, where the pantry used to be, the laundry was a life changer, says Diana. Choosing a front-loader made it possible to squeeze in a generous bench, sink and hanging rail. The clever, compact space also makes an excellent wet area for Diana’s work as a florist. >

bathroom ‘Quinta’ ceramic tiles from Academy Tiles give the downstairs bathroom a handmade quality – and wow factor. “We weren’t interested in cold, hard tiles,” explains Diana. The pedestal basin and claw-foot bath were both found on Ebay, “if you can believe it!” says Diana. The exposed ‘Olde English’ shower set from Astra Walker is an up-to-the-minute version of the shower from the original bathroom, which, together with brass tapware, keeps the vintage feel going without sacrificing functionality.

before

lessons learnedThe first secret to renovating a 100-year-old house, says

Diana, is to appreciate the home’s imperfections. “We loved this house, we bought it for a reason, and just wanted to

embrace it for what it was,” she explains. The second secret is to get a good team on board. “Find a designer with a similar aesthetic to your own, then let them run with it. If you love what they do, you just have to let them do it.”

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BUDGET BREAKDOWN

“Cameron designed a bunch of objects and had a team of makers create them for us” ~ Diana

master bedroom Diana and Ashley were prepared to sacrifice the things they didn’t really need to make the essentials sing. Designer Cameron made the most of the creative liberation by devising bespoke galvanised rails in place of a wardrobe. The couple sourced an Ikea dresser to fit below and Diana’s sister Sandra made the linen curtains. “Storage was important,” says Diana. “We wanted to make sure it was significant but characterful as well.”

Bedroom Bedhead upholstery: Vintage bedhead reupholstering, from $600, Maurer & Strange, maurerandstrange.com.

Curtains: Get the look with ‘Aina’ linen curtains in Natural, $79/pair, Ikea, ikea.com.

Dresser: ‘Malm’ dresser, $99, Ikea, ikea.com.au. Paint: Wash & Wear 101 Brrier Technology in Stowe

White, $74.95/4L, Dulux, dulux.com.au. Wardrobe: Custom-made hanging system, from $1000,

Smith & Carmody, smithandcarmody.com.au.

Ensuite Basin: Refurbished basin and brass basin stand, from $1800, Smith & Carmody, smithandcarmody.com.au.

Floors: Popham hexagonal tiles in Robin Egg and Summer Sky, $315/sqm, Onsite Supply + Design, onsitesd.com.au.

Mirror: ‘Grundtal’ mirror, $40, Ikea, ikea.com.au.Tapware: Icon+ wall tap set in Raw Brass, $398, Icon+

shower set in Raw Brass, $438, both Astra Walker, astrawalker.com.au.

Walls: Try ‘Fresco’ in Alabaster, $47.30/1kg, ‘Stucco Wax’, $56.20/850g, both Porters Paints, porterspaints.com.

ENSUITE The heritage of the

house is carried through to the new

second-storey ensuite, thanks to a soulful

assortment of salvaged, upcycled and

handmade materials.Popham hexagonal

floor tiles introduce pattern and colour. The

basin was a found object that Cameron

tricked up with brass, with the help of Simon

Cavanough from Macgyver Models. >

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deck The bench seat on the reworked deck is a sentimental treasure from the house in which Diana grew up. Her father restored one bench for Diana and one for each of her three sisters.

FACADE When Diana and Ashley pulled off the layers of fibro that enclosed their front verandah (below) they weren’t expecting to find the original facade in such good condition. “That was a big moment!” says Diana. “It felt like the house kept giving back to us throughout the whole process.” Dulux Weathershield in Natural White was used on the weatherboards and Vivid White on the trim to bring the facade back to its best.

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BUDGET BREAKDOWN

SOURCE BOOK

Deck & facade Cushions: ‘Durrmu’ linen cushion, $259, ‘Lots’ silk

cushion in Blue, $139, both Koskela, koskela.com.au. Exterior paint: Weathershield in Natural

White, $74.95/4L, Weathershield in Vivid White, $74.95/4L, both Dulux, dulux.com.au.

Plants: Try star jasmine, from $11 each, rubber tree, from $8.50 each, cymbidium orchid, from $9 each,

all Bunnings, bunnings.com.au.

Interior designer: Cameron Krone, Smith & Carmody, smithandcarmody.com.au.

Builder: James Harradence, Iron Cove Construction, 0416 117 794 .

plans

“This is where we brought up our kids – we have a lovely community here and great friends” ~ Diana

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