DESIGN DETAILS
ASK THE OWNER:
Danielle Nash of Something For Fay
Danielle, what are some of the key mid-century features of this house that you loved when you
first saw it? The atrium was a huge drawcard for us; the amount of light it spills into the home is integral to the indoor-outdoor living philosophy of its time. We were also drawn to the flat roof and the entryway with its big, bright door. During the renovation, we were careful not to strip the building of its mid-century heritage, so we took care to reinstate the plasterboard with the grid detail, and researched the materials that would have been available when the house was built.
Which alterations have been the most successful?
The kitchen and dining area has been our greatest renovation gain; it’s restored the organic flow of the house around the atrium. The existing kitchen was lime and aqua, and although delightfully retro, it was falling apart and squashed into a corner of the house. Opening up that space and moving the kitchen created a dining room and allowed us to install all the mod cons of a new kitchen.
What advice would you give to others planning
a renovation? Hire a team you can trust – people you have a rapport with and who have a great reputation. Encourage your tradies to think outside the box if your renovation has unique concepts or when problems arise. Hiccups are all part of the journey and its easier for tradies to just say, “It can’t be done”, but if you want something done, there will be a way! If you’re not living on site, visit it every day to check on and encourage progress, and to make sure the details are correct – you’ll be the ones who have to live with them if they’re not.