Completed over a three and a half month period, this three bedroom, one bathroom brick home in Brisbane was overhauled recently by graphic designer and event organiser Lisa Ma and her carpenter partner Paul Harrison who caught the renovating bug after completing a major transformation on their own home.
“We lived through our home renovation and realised we wouldn’t want to do it again! That’s why we’re happy to enjoy all of our hard work, and continue working projects where we can come home and have a warm shower! We now have a passion for taking dated homes and making them more contemporary and liveable,” says Lisa.
A deceased estate, Lisa and Paul were looking for a home to add value to and then on-sell. “It was a privilege to make the dated home more contemporary for a young family to enjoy. We wanted to bring life back into it,” says Lisa of the home that is located in the Brisbane suburb of Keperra. “It’s a growth suburb for families and has surrounding bushland and hills. The area where this home is in used to be an old drive-in cinema and we love this quirky fact!” says Lisa.
“The one thing that I insisted on was that if we had to keep the existing plumbing in the bathroom, we had to have a touch of luxury with Carrara marble tiles laid in herringbone for the shower niche. Now when someone walks into the bathroom it’s the first thing they notice and comment on. With all our renovations, we insist on shower niches, preferably one that is clearly visible from the door – you want to be able to walk past and have it capture your gaze,” says Lisa.
Lisa’s favourite part of the project involved demolishing a non-structural wall that divided the living and kitchen. “It created a better flow, and let so much more natural light to flow through. It’s hard to believe it was the same house if you remember what it looked like before. It no longer feels closed off, and the new cushion laminated flooring makes it feel so big when it’s quite a small house compared to much larger family homes!” says Lisa.
Another of Lisa’s favourite parts of the renovation is the new alfresco area. “The new covered outdoor entertaining area has been the biggest wow factor. It has a fly-over roof with insulated panels and overlooks a big flat backyard with firepit and room for a pool. It has me dreaming of summer,” says Lisa.
Photography: Urban Abode Photography
3 replies on “Real reno: A realistic makeover in Brisbane”
What is the wall colour in the lounge room?
Hi Tea, the wall colour is Lexicon half. Hope this helps! Cheers Lisa
The house has been tastefully decorated. Congratulations…The white color used in the kitchen and bathroom also increased the elegance and showed wide the spaces.
As a small suggestion here you can increase a piece of this beauty by using peshtemal Turkish towels and peshtemal tea towels with tassels in vibrant colors.