Q&A with Suzi and Stephan

Any cost-cutting tips? Know what you want before you start. It’s very costly to change your mind halfway through the renovation! Also, draw up a budget and stick to it! Write down all your expenses, otherwise you might lose track of them. Where did you get your ideas? We used floorplanner.com. Suzi also describes herself as a Pinterest addict: “I steal with my eyes,” she laughs. What would you do differently next time? We’d make sure that we have decided on finishes before we break out the first brick. We demolished the wall before we chose flooring, which delayed our project as we were contemplating various finishes.

Any other tips? Plan, plan, plan! Know what you want, go to various suppliers and touch, feel and sample items you like. It’s also important to compromise and let your partner make some decisions. What do you enjoy most about your new living area? The wall unit. Lots of love, sweat and tears went into it and it’s the first thing you see when entering the room. It really completes the look we wanted.

What’s next? We’re completing a deck in our front garden, so we still want to replace the three arched windows in the living room with a door. We’ve also started renovating the kitchen. And then we need to get the nursery done before our daughter arrives!