Tag: Front Porch Properties

Categories
Before & Afters Design House Tours Real Renos RENO ADDICT

Before & after: A spacious modern farmhouse in Brisbane

AFTER ensuite
AFTER ensuite

We’ve featured the work of Queensland based pianist turned builder Rachael Turner before and her latest renovation brings more of the same high quality. Located 10 minutes south of the Brisbane CBD, Rachael and her company Front Porch Properties purchased this 1930’s pre-war character home, renovated it and sold it within a year recently.

BEFORE front
BEFORE front
AFTER front
AFTER front

“There was no design brief as such as I was building for myself, with no client involved. However, the vision I had was to transform the run down home into a dreamy modern farmhouse that was contemporary but had storybook charm and would appeal to the general market,” says Rachael.

BEFORE lounge
BEFORE lounge
AFTER lounge & dining
AFTER lounge & dining
AFTER dining
AFTER dining

“The original home had some beautiful original features such as ornate ceilings and elaborate cornices that we worked hard to restore. We raised the home by two metres, built all new underneath, and meticulously renovated and restored the original part,” says Rachael of the expansive home that now boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living areas and a pool.

BEFORE kitchen
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen
AFTER kitchen

The hub of the home is a huge open plan kitchen, living and dining area that’s complemented by soaring 3.7 metre ceilings. “The modern farmhouse style kitchen has a cute butler’s pantry. We love the custom built produce drawers for potatoes and onions that were built from recycled oak,” says Rachael.

AFTER butler's pantry
AFTER butler’s pantry

Special mention should be made of the many entertaining areas also. “There are four separate outdoor entertaining areas, including a huge back entertainers’ deck with a sunken fire pit, eating area and super cute front sun porch with a custom porch swing,” says Rachael.

BEFORE backyard
BEFORE backyard
AFTER backyard
AFTER backyard

The spacious theme continues upstairs where a very large staircase connects through to the bedrooms and upstairs sitting room that has views through to the city. “The staircase is very special as it has sisal carpet, shiplap wall cladding, matte black balustrading, a huge window seat and a seagrass pendant,” says Rachael.

AFTER staircase
AFTER staircase

The master bedroom now has a huge walk-in robe and spacious ensuite too. “The ensuite was originally a bedroom and now has a huge freestanding bath, custom wainscoting, restored 1930’s cornices and ceiling and and a ‘his and hers’ vanity,” says Rachael.

BEFORE bedroom
BEFORE bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER ensuite
AFTER ensuite
AFTER double vanities
AFTER ensuite double vanities

“The vision for the home was to create something that would be extremely comfortable, easy and relaxed to live in. I was really careful in trying to tick all the boxes in terms of what a potential buyer would want. I love that it has many different zones and places where you can go to retreat,” says Rachael.

AFTER walk-in robe
AFTER walk-in robe

And as for the learning process, it’s a continuous one. “I’ve learnt that renovations of this scale always cost more than you think or budget for. The amount of effort that goes into restoring old character homes is enormous – especially if you are passionate about doing it right and paying proper respect to the original home. It would be easier and cheaper to rip things out and start again, but I’m passionate about restoration and this often comes with a hefty price tag. The outcome is totally worth it though!”

AFTER main bathroom
AFTER main bathroom
AFTER study
AFTER study

For more | One of Rachael’s other renovations

Categories
Before & Afters Designers Expert Tips Interviews Kitchens Real Renos RENO ADDICT

Reno inspo: Check out this fab kitchen before & after!

Kitchen AFTER
After: The cathedral ceiling has worked wonders in the space

Carrying on from last night’s Block kitchen reveals, we have more kitchen inspo for you today!

We’ve highlighted the talents of Brisbane pianist turned builder Rachael Turner before and today we’re bringing you one of her latest renovations – a fabulous kitchen. As with her last video, today’s is full of the amazing renovating tips and tricks that we’ve come to expect from Rachael, but first let’s look at the before and after pics of the overhaul.

Kitchen AFTER
After: The new cathedral ceiling has worked wonders in the now light-filled space

The transformation of this kitchen is so profound that it’s almost difficult to believe that the ‘before’ photograph is the same room.

THE BEFORE
The dark and dingy BEFORE

It’s a big call but the most notable difference would have to be that stunning cathedral ceiling that was achieved by removing the existing trusses and roof and replacing it with exposed rafters. The addition of skylights means the hub of the home is now flooded with natural light too.

Kitchen AFTER

One of the other design details that contributes to the kitchen’s new sense of loftiness is the bulkhead that sits above the overhead cupboards. One of Rachael’s top kitchen design tips, cupboards left bare on top are not only magnets for dust but also the eye which is drawn to that harsh line which only helps to close in the space. Where possible, always finish off your kitchen cupboards with a bulkhead above.

Front Porch Properties kitchen AFTER
The gorgeous sea foam coloured tiled splash back is a soothing choice

Watch the video as Rachael takes you through what she did and why and also her top five kitchen tips:

For more | How to stay on top of your kitchen reno budget

Categories
Expert Tips Kitchens RENO ADDICT

IKEA kitchen hack: be inspired by this before & after!

Grab yourself a cuppa, as we’re sharing a fantastic IKEA kitchen hack by Front Porch Properties in these videos today!

AFTER: Clever carpentry has made this flatpack kitchen look more custom

These videos are absolutely loaded with tips and tricks for little things you can do to make a flatpack kitchen look more expensive and unique. As a flatpack kitchen owner myself (take the tour), I always love seeing how other people personalise and give character to theirs!

If you ever thought an IKEA kitchen wouldn’t suit an older home, you really need to check this out for inspiration! I particularly love all the clever uses of space and the way they’ve used the old kitchen cabinetry in the new laundry.

THE BEFORE
Rachael Turner of Front Porch Properties
This clever ‘island’, at the same height as the surrounding  benches, doubles as a dining table because the house doesn’t have a dining room

Now watch the videos as Rachael takes you through what she did and why:

PART ONE

PART TWO (almost finished!)

We hope you’re feeling inspired for your next reno!

Our interview with Front Porch Properties’ Rachael Turner on being a woman in the male-dominated construction industry.

More Kitchens & Bathrooms | More on Renovating

 

Categories
Design Interviews

Meet Rachael Turner, the pianist turned female builder

Rachel Turner, runs her own construction company building boutique homes, Coomera. Photographer: Liam Kidston.

A classically trained pianist, with a Bachelor of Music in piano from the Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane’s Rachael Turner ran a music school for a decade before turning to design and construction in 2013. “I decided to change careers and launch into construction as it’s something I have been fascinated with since I was very young. I can remember sketching up floor plans and house elevations from a young age,” says Rachael who is now a fully qualified builder with her own company, Front Porch Properties.

Rachel Turner
Builder Rachael Turner

While Rachael started out flipping homes she now works on new builds too and finds most of her inspiration in American design. “I am hugely influenced by American style homes and I often draw inspiration from Cape Cod and Hamptons style. I love American-style barn houses, farm houses and cottages. I really love classic design as not only is it charming, but it won’t look dated in 10 years’ time.”

Rachael in front of a recently completed project

As for being female in a male-dominated sphere, Rachael sees it mostly as an asset. “I most definitely encourage women to join the construction industry. It’s a fantastic industry where women can really excel. We have a certain skill set that differs to men. For example, we are often great communicators, visionaries, organisers and multi-taskers and can add a real nurturing quality to a construction site which can make a positive difference. I also believe that dealing with clients and understanding a homeowner’s dream can perhaps be better understood and interpreted by a woman,” says Rachael who was recently a state winner and national finalist at the Australian Training Awards in Canberra (a nomination she received when studying for her technical building qualifications).

Front Porch Properties before and after
A kitchen renovation

But it’s not all been straightforward on the gender front – there were some initial challenges. “Being a female in the construction industry was certainly tough in the early days, I don’t know what the tradesmen must have thought when an inexperienced female project manager showed up on site. However, now that I have a bit of momentum, confidence and experience behind me, as well as a great team of tradespeople, it’s less of an issue,” says Rachael who has appeared in several commercial television segments as well as magazines including Home Beautiful, Marie Claire and Inside Out.

Front Porch Properties master bedroom
A master bedroom and ensuite designed and built by Rachael

And Rachael’s future construction dreams have a charitable focus too – she has plans to fund construction projects overseas for the less fortunate. “At the end of the day, money, fame and status really amount to nothing as you can’t take them with you when you die. I’m more interested in having an impact on people and leaving a legacy,” says Rachael.

Kitchen and dining renovation

Photography: Clare Sophia Photography & Liam Kidston

For more | Eight questions to ask before hiring a builder or tradie

Categories
Before & Afters House Tours Real Renos RENO ADDICT

Real renos: the real life version of The Block

With a renovation project so intense it could rival The Block, Rachael Turner gave herself just 12 weeks to transform a dilapidated and unlivable Brisbane house into an enviable family home! And she pulled it off. Big time!

Front4b

“It was completely derelict,” explains Rachael. “No one had lived there for two years. In fact it was so unlivable that when we won the house at auction and went to get money off the bank they wouldn’t give us any. The house was too far gone and they wouldn’t lend against it!”

Study1

However, luckily the bank lent her money against the land and Rachael was able to get the plans drawn up and trades organised, all before settlement. With a huge scope of work to complete, day one saw the jobs begin, starting with the re-stuming and leveling of the house, asbestos removal, replacement of the roof and all-new electrics and plumbing. And that wasn’t even half of it! “We definitely gave ourselves a tough challenge by having a 12-week deadline. But we had to stick to budget and obviously the longer you hold a house the more holding costs you’ll have, and we had only factored in the 12 weeks. We had to stick to it.”

Lounge2

What came next was removing walls, adding structural beams, redoing the kitchen, adding a bathroom (there wasn’t even one before, I’m not joking!), knocking out the back part of the house to put in a deck, and adding a study, laundry, front verandah, footbridge, driveway, carport and garden. So basically, she did a lot!

Bathroom2f

With three bedrooms and now one bathroom, Rachael was aiming to spend only 15 percent of the property’s purchase price on the transformation. Unfortunately, that slipped to 25 percent, but for worthwhile reasons. Rachael deciding to spend on some big-ticket items that promised a good return. “Originally, we weren’t going to add a deck out the back or build the front footbridge, but we realised we would get a good return for these items so we decided to spend the extra.”

Backdeck2c

Owning the house for less than six months (from late 2012 to early 2013), Rachael put the property on sale as soon as the last piece of turf was laid. Selling after just a couple of days on the market, she made a profit of just under 40 percent, which after renovation and sale costs, came in at just under 20 percent.

Rachael puts her success down to including some special points of difference, believing that you should spend money on the significant areas of your home that get the most use. “In the kitchen for example, we included high-end fittings and fixtures like soft close and full extension joinery. Then in the bathroom we had a dual shower head, heated towel rails and mirrored cabinets. All those little things actually don’t cost too much more, but from a sales perspective they are really worth it.”

Kitchen3
Kitchen2

While she’s a big fan of those two rooms, her favourite part of the house would have to be the front portico and footbridge, and while the former was a nightmare to do (she had to get a development application approved) it made for great visual appeal. “I think for resale, they were the best things we did. It made the house accessible and gave it great street presence. The portico is really only four posts and a bit of tin – it’s nothing – but the value it added to the house was immediate.”

Backyard2b

Here’s a closer look at the end result:

46CarvilleSt0015

CarvilleSt0026

4

Obsessed with renovating and building, Rachael runs project management business Front Porch Properties. Doing both new builds and renovations, she helps clients in all departments from the initial design, to the construction and landscaping.