Clever planning, affordable alternatives and a bit of creativity led to a successful Scandinavian-style revamp
A family home full of storage, space and light that didn’t break the bank? We uncover the lessons from a successful renovation
renovating is an obsession forf Nat Wheeler. She founded furniture and homewares store Norsu Interiors with friend Kristy Sadlier solely to satisfy their joint love of Scandinavian style, and had already updated her family home in Melbourne’s Glen Iris to be a beautiful showcase for the brand. But when she and her husband Dan bought a larger Californian bungalow with four bedrooms and a “truckload of potential” (read: a bad 1990s extension), they agreed she’d only apply a fresh lick of paint to the dark and dated interiors while they saved for a bigger renovation. And yet, six months later, they’re loving their completely updated home. So what happened? “Style and design keep me up at night. I had so many ideas for what this house could be, and I just knew I had to be creative about getting what I wanted,” says Nat. This meant a mix of clever planning from the very beginning, affffordable solutions to some of the big-ticket items, staying within the original footprint of the home and adding a clear and consistent aesthetic. The last came courtesy of her beloved Nordic colour palette of white, soft grey and blush pink. We break down the strategy for this well-planned family home.
1 a smart property search
Make a list of your non-negotiable property features and stick with them throughout your search. Nat and Dan, a real-estate agent and director of Marshall White, both loved the area they were in, but their semidetached house had a small backyard, and they needed more space for their family of four, including kids Annabel, 6; and Harvey, 4. To achieve their goal of staying in the area while upscaling the size (but not the budget) of their home, the couple agreed they would need to find an older, unrenovated house. But this didn’t mean every derelict property was within their sights. Dan’s real-estate experience led to another must-have for their list: a kitchen and living space located at the back of the house. This would cut renovating costs further down the line. “We love indoor/ outdoor entertaining, so we wanted to have that as a possibility in our new home without having to make major floor-plan changes,” says Nat.
2 a focus on ‘feeling’
Do you need more rooms, or would a restructure give you the sense of space you’re craving? “I have a real dislike for dark homes and wanted the space to feel airy, breezy and open,” says Nat. For this reason, one of her first decisions was to widen and straighten the hallway, stealing space from large adjoining bedrooms. “We’re not people who really want or need a large house, so instead of extending, we decided to rejig the existing floor plan to make sure each of the spaces felt generous. I love the fact that you can now see right through to the back garden from the front door.” Following the same principles, she opened up the compact kitchen to the living area by removing walls and adding a peninsula bench. “I chose a standard oven and cooktop, and an integrated dishwasher,” says Nat.
3 a few budget-busting ideas
With a lot of hard work and endless research, Nat managed to find savings in a few key areas. First up, the storage. “Coming from a house with not much storage, it was a really high priority for me, but having renovated before, I also knew what custom cabinetry can cost,” she says. She used standard flat-pack cabinetry from Kaboodle – not only in the kitchen, but also in the bedrooms, playroom, living area and laundry. To add a design edge that would take them beyond the standard look and feel, she opted for raw doors and had them spray-finished in her chosen Dulux colours with a matt finish. And in rooms where the cupboards reached the ceiling, she had her builder install a plaster bulkhead above to create the impression of built-in wardrobes. “I actually have cupboards in this house that I haven’t filled yet,” she says. “I can’t believe it!” Nat was also daunted by the potential cost of custom sliding doors and windows for the back of the house, but eventually found Stock Windows And Doors, which was able to supply an off-the-shelf solution for a fraction of the cost. Find out more about Nat’s renovation at norsuhome.com.