& the rest...
insulation ideas
“We visited this house on a hot day and it was uncomfortably warm, especially upstairs in the reclaimed roof space,” says Wayd. “A renovation is the best time to think about proper insulation throughout the home so you can be as comfortable as possible without having to rely on heating or air-conditioning. It would be a good idea to put insulation under the floor of the old timber part of the house for the winter months and double glaze the windows. Rachael and Michael are keen to explore the possibility of solar panels and if their roof is suitable, that’s a great idea. Not only will it save them money in the long term, the panels themselves will act as insulation during the summer months, shading the roof and creating an air gap, which really helps a roof stay naturally cool.”
“This house has a lovely outlook onto the garden and an equally lovely view over the park from the front rooms,” says Andrew. “The northern light comes in at the front, too, so it would be a shame to have all the attention focused on the back. With the upstairs expansion, I’d suggest putting a master bedroom with ensuite at the front then placing an additional living room at the rear that was wider than the front. Windows on the edges of the new living room would look past the master bedroom and gain views to the park beyond. Its a simple solution whereby the new additions are broken into two parts with one part offset from the other. This would also improve airflow across the upper level as air can easily flow in at the junction between the two parts. A staircase at this junction would let light flood down into the house below.”
“It’s important to style a house so that the new renovation feels connected to the original house,” says Lisa. “The flooring might change, so it’s important to try to keep the same wall colours throughout to create a sense of harmony between the two spaces. Don’t change the mood from one zone to the other – keep your styling elements like artwork, rugs and accessories on the same page. You can mix up those elements by bringing modern clean lines into the original part of the house and introducing some organic shapes and texture into the new area. And don’t forget the window treatments! Consider their style so they feel seamless and work as a team across both the original spaces and new renovation.
concrete flooring
“Rachael is keen to have a concrete floor in the new kitchen,” says Anne Plumb of Royal Oak Floors (royaloakfloors. com.au). “I’ve noticed an emerging ‘upside-down’ trend recently for polished concrete on the floor and pre-finished wide floorboards on the ceiling in White Smoked or Danish White. This can look really chic and fresh. If you want the advantages of concrete but don’t want to have to pour a slab and risk it cracking, a great alternative is Concreate panels: pre-finished, ready-to-lay, 14mm-thick panels in a range of colours. The panels are real concrete and can be laid over any sub floor, new or old, or come in a thinner format for walls [pictured]. If you have an old Queenslander or live in a carpeted apartment and want to enter the 21st century style-wise, this could be the answer.”