clare le roy – The Interiors Addict

10 dream homes created using simple SketchUp software

With people spending more and more time at home, it’s nothing new that the renovation industry is booming! Money that was saved up for overseas holidays is instead being used on home improvements as people are noticing the things that are wrong with their homes and feeling inspired to do something about them.

But before homeowners spend hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating, they’re looking for ways to visualise their spaces (something so many struggle with) so they can avoid costly mistakes and save money. And SketchUp is the perfect– and easy to learn–tool!

The software is well known and used in the design and architecture industry. It’s very simple to learn (yet looks super impressive!), allows people to see exactly what their home is going to look like in 3D before it is built or altered and (most importantly) is heaps of fun and very addictive!

About 18 months ago, Clare Le Roy, director of The Little Design Corner, started an online course helping designers, decorators and home renovators learn how to use SketchUp for interior design purposes. Since then, she’s had nearly 3,000 students take the course from all over the world!

Many of these students have created amazing homes and projects with their new SketchUp skills and today we are sharing 10 examples of completely different homes and projects, all created by people just like you who had no experience in SketchUp before starting the course.

Even if you can’t afford to renovate right now, you can create your dream home in SketchUp and take a virtual walk around instead!

So grab a cuppa and come take a tour (or 10!):

(And if you’d like to to learn more about Clare’s course, head here).

1: Dream family home by Kate

2. Apartment living by Agi

3. Multiple living zones by Mel

4. Federation home upgrade by Tarryn

5. Modern living by Cas

6. Work from home by Jelena

7. Relaxed family living by Adele

8. Future dream home by Claire

9. Kitchen design by Courtney

10. Tiny house by Kellie

Love the look of SketchUp and want in on the fun? Find out more about Clare’s SketchUp for Interior Design Beginners’ Course.

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Real reno: A stylish family home with disabled access

Located in Roseville, on Sydney’s upper north shore, this stylish home was designed by Clare Le Roy of The Little Design Corner for her young family of five, with particular provision for her disabled son.

Lounge, dining and kitchen — Open plan lounge, dining and kitchen

“Our middle son is profoundly disabled and in a wheelchair so we needed a flat block so he could access the whole house. I wanted to do a renovation so that I could put my own design stamp on my home plus be able to arrange the spaces so they met Hugo’s access needs as well as the needs of my other two sons. I wanted to create an organised, relaxed and open plan family home, and I’m thrilled with how it all turned out!” says Clare.

A two-stage renovation, the first part involved reworking the existing 1920’s California bungalow. “We retained the period features of the existing bungalow but modernised it with new flooring, bathrooms, lighting and bespoke v-groove joinery,” says Clare. The second renovation stage saw the addition of a brand new extension to the rear of the home.

The original bungalow as seen from the new extension

The new pavilion-style rear extension boasts full height double glazed windows that look out to a new pool, garden and slick cubby house that even has lighting and power connected allowing it to double as an all-weather separate play zone. “The pavilion contains a new kitchen, laundry, mudroom, bathroom and a media room plus an alfresco dining and lounge area,” says Clare.

Impressively, the home’s main features centre around Hugo’s disabled access, but you’d be hard-pressed to notice. “Although the bathroom and lounge/dining areas don’t look like they have been designed for a disabled person, there’s hidden features that made it work perfectly for him. There are no thresholds that we needed to cross with his wheelchair, there is flat access from the front to the back and the corridors and spaces within the home are generous in width so he can be moved around easily,” says Clare.

But not only has Clare created gorgeous, tranquil, monochrome spaces but they’re highly functional too. “The house has a huge amount of function and storage hidden behind closed doors. The mudroom at the side entrance is one of the hubs of the home where you can hide away school bags, iPads charging, sports gear and other things you don’t really want to look at!” says Clare of the space that is conveniently located next to the laundry.

“Overall though, I’d say the best part of the project is the flow of the house. From the front door you can see right through to the back of the house and as you move through it you go from the bedrooms in the existing renovated bungalow through to a really modern extension overlooking an idyllic family garden. The use of v-groove was what tied the old part of the house with the new,” says Clare.

Photography: Esteban La Tessa

For more | Another California bungalow renovation