Gabrielle Di Stefano of Elements of Style in Victoria shared these before and afters from a holiday cottage makeover in Newham, near Woodend. We love how she freshened up and modernised the space without losing its cottage charm.
Built in the 1890s, the building was originally the local creamery, servicing the main dairy in Woodend.
The original two rooms at the front on the home are now the sitting room and a bedroom. Over the years, a few renovations have been carried out and a new kitchen, bathroom, laundry and third bedroom have been added.
“Starting in 2006, we slowly updated colour schemes and furnishings to cater for a family that used it on weekends and holidays,” says Gabrielle. ”The vision we had for the sitting room was to keep the cottage feel alive without being too cutesy country. As it was a holiday home we wanted the furnishings to be easy to look after. The sitting room was painted a colour that was softer than the original burgandy, but still had a warmth to it. We left the ceiling and woodwork white to contrast the strong wall colour.
“We found the bedside tables for the guest bedroom in hard rubbish. A few coats of paint and glass handles gave them a new lease of life. The owners were given an old floorboard that had been written on by a gentlemen renovator in the early 1900s. He describes the challenges he faced during his guardianship of the cottage, so we hung it above the bed to add interest.”
Tune in tomorrow to see the remaining rooms.