black and white projects – The Interiors Addict

Before & after: From dated to chic in six weeks!

Located in Mooloolaba, in the heart of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, this average suburban home got a serious makeover recently by the team at Black and White Projects, making it fit for sale.

“The home is located minutes from the beach and situated in a quiet cul-de-sac. The house was a long term rental in need of a renovation and we presented it to the market so it was ready to move in,” says Black and White Projects design director Maria Baron who finished the renovation in under six weeks before selling the house.

“We renovated this one for selling. The brief was to renovate what needed updating as the home is a solid brick house with good bones in a good area. We also had to be smart about budget whilst achieving a premium look with quality finishes. We made some bold design choices,” says Maria.

Master bathroom AFTER — Main bathroom AFTER

“The reno had to appeal to a broad audience but was clearly designed with a working family in mind. We added a little cubby house out the back for the kids. We love adding little custom touches and small features that the whole family will love. We also made sure the parents had a nice master bedroom, ensuite and walk-in robe to enjoy,” says Maria who reworked the floorplan to allow this.

Other floorplan changes included adding a pantry in what used to be hallway space. “It was such a minimal change but it made a massive difference whist still keeping the bedrooms and laundry private from the main house,” says Maria.

Kitchen AFTER – the new pantry is located opposite

The front of the home still features original brown brick, but it’s an aspect that Maria was focussed on retaining. “Instead of hiding what the house was about we love to embrace features, such as the brick. The right colour palette made the original brick shine,” says Maria who used the paint colour ‘Monument’ in Taubmans Endure for the exterior trims, gutters and roof.

Two highlights of the home are the gorgeous bathrooms, something of a Black and White Projects specialty. “We love doing bathrooms. We saved on cabinetry by getting a good quality off the shelf ‘shell’ before adding custom bench tops and good quality fixtures and fittings. We also like to splurge on tiles plus we only use the best tilers to ensure an impeccable finish,” says Maria.

Maria’s top reno tips:

– Don’t compromise on your tradies! Final finishes is what can make a house average or exceptional. Really good tradies can make a huge difference to the end product.

– Invest in a project manager, A good project manager should be able to save you lots on everything. They should know who to call in and when. They should also have access to competitive rates with suppliers.

– Assess and rework the floor plan. This is a crucial part of any job and a lot of work goes into it. if you are going to change your plan yourself, ask yourself Is this something that will improve my day to day life living in the house? Does it fit the house/space and is it worth the investment?

Photography: Mister Mistress

For more | Another Black and White Projects renovation

Before & after: From tired 1980’s to monochrome magic

Backing onto national park and located at Peregian beach, just south of Noosa, this home was originally built in 1982 and, while well-maintained, was in dire need of a refresh when renovation specialist Maria Baron from Black and White Projects bought it recently.

“When we purchased Parakeet Cottage, it was well loved and well looked after with incredible potential. The aspect means that the home has 180 degree western elevated views of Noosa national park. This is a view that will never be built out and location is everything,” says Maria of the home that is enviably located just a short stroll from the beach also.

AFTER breakfast bar — AFTER breakfast servery

Specialising in fast-paced renovations, this one took just five weeks to complete from demolition to styling and Maria describes the end aesthetic as having a modern coastal tribal vibe. “The vision was to refresh this property as a holiday home and give it a real personality. We wanted something bold and timeless so the modern coastal tribal vibe was the perfect direction. It reflects the beach location and has that relaxed feel that people seek when holidaying,” says Maria.

The home is fairly monochromatic with colour pops throughout. “Monochrome is our signature. It is timeless and versatile and can be easily updated from Modern French to Hamptons in the future,” says Maria. The black and white kitchen is one of the home’s standout spaces. “The 40mm Carrara marble look stone really sets the kitchen apart. We selected some lower matte black cabinetry to ground the kitchen and white upper cabinets. To smooth the transition between upper and lower cabinets we chose a classic white subway splashback with black grout. This kitchen is timeless and also really easy to update with coloured accessories,” says Maria.

AFTER main bathroom — AFTER The main bathroom features an antique wooden vanity

The bedrooms feature bird prints and one feature wall each – a nod to the local wildlife that includes kookaburras, black cockatoos, lorikeets and parakeets. “The master bedroom features a black cockatoo next to painted panelling (Taubmans Matt Black) for a high end feel, bedroom two features a parakeet and Taubmans Malted Mint teal-coloured paint. Finally the dusty pink paint (Taubmans Kangaroo Paw) enhances the galah print,” says Maria.

AFTER main bedroom — AFTER master bedroom

Fond of upcycling, Maria incorporated some old pieces into this project too. “Hunting pre-owned items and upcycling old furniture is something we love doing. We used an antique console for the main bathroom in this project. It was a great find and this was the key statement piece for our main bathroom,” says Maria.

The wood accent continues in the master bedroom ensuite – a custom floating timber bench is the hero of the space. “We love adding custom made items as they give uniqueness and warmth. For this project we added a custom floating timber bench in the ensuite. It’s solid Australian hardwood and fits in with the monochromatic bathroom theme. It was a raw rough timber slab which we prepped, cut and finished ourselves,” says Maria. Both bathrooms feature matte black tapware from Reece.

Photography: Rikki Lancaster

For more | More before & afters