Located in New South Wales’ Warners Bay, this mid-century inspired home has proven the perfect downsizer for a couple who were looking for a low-maintenance alternative to their former large family home. Designed by architect Daniel Bush of SD Architects, the home was awarded the HIA-CSR Custom Built Home award for the Hunter Region of NSW in 2021 and was a finalist in the national category for 2022.
The exterior of the home
“The house is set in a fairly typical subdivision, and they wanted to differentiate themselves from the homes around them,” says Daniel Bush, lead architect at SD Architects, who worked on the home that features a variety of contemporary materials and finishes both inside and out.
Kitchen
With a view to complementing the streetscape, the home’s owners chose an interesting recycled-look brick exterior. Inspired by the industrial aesthetic of New York’s Tribeca neighbourhood, the PGH Manhattan range of bricks are paired with vertical and angled timber and black cladding and draw the eye from the street.
Kitchen and dining room
Inside, the mixed materials palette continues with feature bricks in the living area offset by warm timber accents and white Gyprock Plus plasterboard walls. The open plan living area includes a cleverly designed kitchen that fits seamlessly into the light-filled lower floor living space; it connects to both the indoor and outdoor dining areas and swimming pool.
Alfresco and pool
And while not a large home, the bedrooms are generously proportioned – the upstairs adults’ retreat is a case in point with its open ensuite and secret walk-in robe. The home has two more bedrooms, both designed for the owners’ adult children for when they come to stay.
Expert renovators and hugely popular former Blockheads Kyal and Kara Demmrich have wrapped up their latest project – a three-bedroom family home and studio just metres from Blue Lagoon beach on the NSW Central Coast. Drawing inspiration from a frangipani tree in the front yard of a small fibro cottage, the couple were able to realise their vision for the home – the ultimate beach house for their growing family where Australian coastal meets Mediterranean villa.
Purchasing the house a few years back, the ‘fibro shack’ was demolished and their first ever new build started. With a goal to design a family home that was built to last, the importance of high quality and carefully selected materials was imperative.
Their hard work has resulted in the jaw-dropping transformation from a beach shack to a dream surf house with touches of Mediterranean style in both the architecture and interiors, where a focus on soft round curves offers a sense of relaxed drama and personality.
“In keeping with our Australian coastal meets Mediterranean villa vision, we’ve incorporated subtle curves throughout this build, beginning with the garage at the very front of the property, which is rendered to a rough Mediterranean-look render,” says Kara. “The curved features continue inside with arched doorways, rounded walls and a showstopper curved staircase taking centre stage of the living room.”
The front façade offers a stunning first impression with blackbutt timber decking, blending beautifully with hand-laid sandstone walls. The interior boasts soaring 3.6-metre raked ceilings, a neutral colour palette and an abundance of natural light.
An open plan kitchen, living and dining area is the true heart of the home, perfect for a family that enjoys entertaining.
To ensure the home not only looks great, but feels comfortable and can stand up to the knocks of everyday living, Kyal and Kara needed a solution that was impact resistant and sound insulating. “We’ve used Gyprock Superchek in the high traffic areas as we wanted to ensure it will withstand the impact of life with our energetic, boisterous kids who are at times literally bouncing off the walls! As its three times tougher, Superchek has enhanced resistance to dents, scuffs and scrapes, as well as improved noise resistance – perfect for our crazy two and their friends,” says Kara.
The rumpus room has curved helical stairs made smooth with Gyprock plaster compounds, that can be seen from the kitchen into the hallway and rumpus beyond, providing a link to the other curves in the home.
One of the couple’s favourite rooms is the master bedroom and a few key features make it special. “Throughout the home, we’ve used curves as a design element,” says Kyal, “and we wanted to do the same and add that architectural feature in the master bedroom.” The curved wall that leads from the entrance of the bedroom around to the walk-in robe is a stand out feature and really softens the look of the space, and feels luxurious.
“Gyprock Flexible was the perfect plasterboard to see our vision come to life. Versatile and easy to install, the thinner-than-usual boards can be layered on top of one another to create unique shapes whilst maintaining strength,” adds Kyal. “We also selected key doorways around the home to create arch entryway features,” said Kara. Having the two arched doorways into the bathroom gives a sense of design continuity throughout the bedroom and ensuite and really frames the beautiful finishes.
The ensuite is a great example of using varying textures with similar colour tones to create a room that’s interesting and packs a punch, with round mirrors and tactile accessories.
The guest studio offers accommodation for visitors and a retreat to escape to. It also acts as a way to create a ‘villa’ style yard for the main house, creating plenty of privacy from the front. With bespoke features, custom fitout and dreamy styling, the studio is one to inspire.
“We wanted to create a sleeping zone without completely closing off the bedroom with a wall. The arch doorway was something we created on the fly using Gyprock Flexitone, and is now one of my favourite features in the studio as it frames the bedroom perfectly. We obviously needed to be able to block the light to this room for those who like to sleep in, so we factored in floor-to-ceiling curtains which provide drama and a sense of luxury,” say Kara.
The house has an abundance of natural light with large and highlight windows throughout, and mostly raked ceilings offering a stylish yet unobtrusive, well thought out design element. “All this natural light is going to show up any flaws so we’ve used Gyprock Superceil. This product sets the standard for plasterboard on ceilings as it’s made with fibreglass to increase strength, prevent sag and reduce glaring light issues, creating a flatter ceiling. We’ve used it throughout the house,” says Kyal.
The crowning glory of the home is the outdoor entertaining space, featuring a gorgeous mosaic tiled pool, lush greenery and a stunning stone wall. With the beach just a stone’s throw away, Kyal and Kara have created an idyllic seaside escape in their own backyard.
Real reno: Blockheads Kyal & Kara’s beachside sanctuary
Located on the NSW central coast, it’s hard to believe that this four-bedroom, three-bathroom coastal dream of a home was once a simple fibro cottage. “Our goal was to create…
The Block’s Kyal and Kara on how to renovate with your partner and keep the peace!
I’ve always thought competing with your partner on The Block was asking for divorce (such the cynic!), however the Super Ks Kyal and Kara Demmrich are proof that renovating with…
Save money, stay realistic and remain on budget in your home renovation with these top tips from Zou Build’s Christal Fysentzous.
Christal and Chris of Zou Build
While embarking on a home renovation is likely to be one of the more expensive investments you will make in life, it doesn’t have to be the most stressful. 38% of Australians reported to be starting renovations in 2020, a 14% increase from 2019, and in a market where every little bit counts, it is important to be practical in your approach. Going in with a firm understanding of your budget, a carefully thought out plan and a realistic view of your long-term objectives for the property will help you to effectively decide how best to utilise your funds.
With opportunities to add value, create a more comfortable daily living and give a stronger return on investment, where should you spend and where should you save in your home renovation or build? Christal, founder of Brisbane-based Zou Build, shares her key insights on what to consider when planning your new build or renovation.
SPEND
Invest in foundations
Research what products best suit your needs and invest in trusted brands for foundations like walls, floors, ceiling, electrical and plumbing. This adds an improved level of protection and value to the longevity of your property.
As Australian families hold onto their homes for longer, Zoubuild is focused on creating homes for the future, taking longevity and quality into key consideration when planning new projects. When it comes to the walls on our recent Brisbane 60s renovation, we needed a quality product that delivered great noise suppression and plenty of impact resistance for tiny feet running down hallways, or school bags being thrown against the walls. Gyprock Superchek was perfect for this. It is a much denser board than the standard sheets most commonly used, so a young family never needs to worry about potential dints and scrapes caused by little ones.
Spend on common values
Investing in aspects of your home that are most often seen as important or commonly used is both a smart and valuable decision. This includes timeless, quality benchtops, fixtures, fittings and tapware that won’t date, and specific living spaces, like rumpus rooms. The latest Zoubuild property was designed to meet the needs of any growing family. The property was centred around the open plan ground-floor living and dining space. Durable style was a driving factor behind the renovation. For example, the Queensland lifestyle is all about outdoor entertaining. Large format windows provided direct visual access to the outside area, which was appealing to buyers.
Lighten the mood
Access to natural light should never be compromised. Ideally, your first point of call in any renovation or build would be to maximise natural light available. This creates warmth, depth and space. We maximised outdoor visuals and light using oversized windows throughout the home.
We wanted to keep the look simple, so went with white coated aluminium frames that made the walls almost melt into the vista. If you’re unable to alter your windows, alternatively, you could look to update your doors. Swap traditional wooden doors for glass or French-style. This can make a hallway feel more open and brighten spaces.
Widening doorways will also increase light in a home. This can create more open plan formats, which, when complimented by an oversized mirror, can help to disperse natural light. Quality lighting features are also a must-spend. A chandelier or quality pendant light will add wow factor to any room.
SAVE
Sort-of do it yourself!
Whilst it is important you outsource the big jobs, one of the most effective ways to save money on a build or renovation is through doing things yourself. Whilst you may not be able to put up plasterboard or lay a tile, there are ways you can save time spent on paying tradies by the hour by preparing spaces in readiness for their arrival. Demolish areas yourself, clean up, prep surfaces and paint.
Small cosmetic fixes
Cosmetic fixes are quick, easy and cost-effective, and often one of the first things people notice in a home. Rather than paying to re-do your kitchen, change the door handles and paint the cupboard doors. A bathroom can be transformed by simply updating the tapware and shower screen, and a living room refreshed with a few new cushions and a set of curtains to frame your windows.
When flipping, you always need to keep the end buyer in mind, so it’s important to not put too much of your own personal style into design. I find it’s best to pare the aesthetic back to inspire the new owners to make it their own.
Source seconds, first
One of the biggest money savers on any renovation will be refurbishing the old or sourcing ex-demonstrator furniture, appliances and whitegoods. Melamine wood from old flatpack furniture can be reused to build shelves or storage units, and chairs can be easily reupholstered to reflect new interiors. Change the doors of cabinets instead of the framework. Ask stores about floor stock, factory seconds and previous season styles. You can often get good discounts on items with small mistakes.
CSR Gyprock has introduced an all-new, reformulated DIY product range, Gyprock Less Mess. Made for large repairs, like covering windows or doorways, Gyprock Multi-purpose Joint Compound can be used across all three coats of the plasterboard jointing system, with Gyprock Topping Compound formulated to finish the jointing. Semi-lightweight in formulation, it simplifies the jointing process and the mess that goes with it, reducing the effort required to sand the job and generating 80% less airborne dust in doing so. High-traffic areas, like living rooms, family rooms and hallways, are more susceptible to knocks and bumps.
Gyprock DIY Rapid Plaster Repair kit is perfect for both large and small repairs, like touching up unused electrical points, moving a light fitting or patching a dint in the wall from a stray door handle. It comes complete with sanding block, tape, broad knife and the Rapid Patch setting compound – everything you need in one bucket.
An exciting yet daunting process, building or renovating a house requires thoughtful planning with the aim to have a lasting impact on the comfort and performance of every room. While some homeowners leave the material choice up to the builder, it’s important to choose the right products and know exactly what is being installed.
Many homeowners tend to spend time thinking about interior furnishings, fixtures, accents and colour palettes when building or renovating, while minimal time is spent researching the importance of walls and ceilings that will positively contribute to the overall comfort and look of the home.
Research done by Gyprock has shown three main characteristics of a home that are important but sometimes overlooked. This includes controlling noise, improving durability and managing moisture and mould. By being involved in the planning and selection of wall and ceiling linings, homeowners can have a lasting impact on the comfort and performance of every room in their home. With this in mind, CSR Gyprock has released a comprehensive building and renovating guide, which highlights the following key points.
High on the list of desirable new home attributes is peace and quiet. A home should be a space to escape unwanted noise and enjoy tranquillity. There are many factors that can contribute to noise pollution including proximity between dwellings, road and air traffic, open plan living, hard surface finishes and powerful home entertainment systems. To take control of noise, it’s important to understand the different types of noise issues that can affect spaces in a home. Unwanted noise can enter through external walls, ceilings and the roof and these sound waves can then transfer through to internal walls and rooms within the house. To help improve the acoustics in a home, look to Gyprock Soundchek – an acoustic rated, high-
density plasterboard that can be used on walls and ceilings. The use of Soudchek plasterboard, combined with glasswool bulk insulation can help reduce noise transfer. The combination of these two building materials can increase the density of walls and ceilings allowing noise to be absorbed to improve the overall acoustic comfort of a home.
2. Improving Durability
Walls are designed to be durable, but in high-traffic areas such as living rooms, bedrooms and hallways that are more prone to knocks and bumps, selecting the right plasterboard lining for these areas will offer an improved level of protection. For areas of the home that are more likely to sustain damage from things such as the vacuum cleaner, school bags, moving furniture and pedestrian traffic, consider Gyprock Superchek – a 10mm plasterboard made with a heavy duty paper liner that increases density and board strength to improve the level of durability of walls against knocks and scrapes or more serious damage from accidents in the home.
3. Managing Moisture and Mould
Long-term physical damage such as sagging ceilings, modest levels of humidity and exposure to steam and moisture build-up can lead to the growth of mould which can be detrimental to the health of family members, particularly for asthma or allergy sufferers. Some areas of the home naturally generate high levels of moisture such as vapour in the kitchen from cooking, steam in the bathroom from showers and baths and moisture in the laundry from washing machines and clothes dryers. By homeowners carefully considering their building material selection they can avoid becoming one of the 35 per cent of Australian households that have experienced mould in their homes.
To download a copy of the ‘Gyprock Make Your House a Home: Building & Renovating Guide‘ visit www.gyprock.com.au/brochures
Gyprock’s Mini-Repair Panel is the newest addition to its extensive DIY range, and is perfect for general plasterboard repairs around the home without the expertise of a handyman. Designed for small plasterboard wall and ceiling lining repairs, it’s a 10mm thick and 530mm wide by 530mm long plasterboard panel, offering an ideal solution for small day-to-day cosmetic repairs or when sprucing up the home. It also conveniently fits a 600mm x 600mm manhole access frame kit.
“The Mini-Repair Panel is a DIYer’s solution for those small repairs around the home. The convenient size makes it a ‘walk out the door size’ repair sheet, making it easy for the home handyman to add to their shopping list,” said Najwa Khoury, Gyprock marketing manager.
Repairing small holes in plasterboard is easy. Here’s how you can do it…
Shopping List
Gyprock Mini-Repair Panel
Gyprock Easy Tape
Gyprock Rapid Patch compound
Small container and clean water for mixing
100mm broadknife
Sanding float and 150 grit sandpaper or sanding block
Step-by-Step Guide to repairing small holes in plasterboard walls and ceilings:
For holes up to 50mm:
1. Mix 1 cup (260g) of compound, such as Rapid Patch, to 150mls water to a creamy consistency. Fill the hole with the compound using the 100mm broadknife and allow to dry.
2. Apply a strip of Gyprock Easy Tape to cover the hole.
3. Apply 2 coats of Rapid Patch over the tape, allowing them to dry between coats.
4. Lightly sand ready for painting.
For larger holes:
1. Trim a Mini-Repair Panel to a neat rectangle patch slightly larger than the hole, trace an outline around it onto the existing plasterboard surface, and set it aside, the patch and offcuts for use in step 3.
2. Cut the damaged area away to the outline you’ve drawn.
3. From the Mini-Repair Panel offcuts, create two backing blocks and fix them to the inside of the hole with a small amount of Rapid Patch, leave to dry, then fix the pre-cut patch into the hole with Rapid Patch.
4. Cover the joins with Easy Tape and apply 2 coats of Rapid Patch, allowing them to dry between coats.
5. Lightly sand ready for painting.
–Gyprock Mini-Repair Panel is available through Bunnings Warehouse nationally. For more information, visit gyprock.com.au.
Budget is the one thing that can take a renovation out of control, so it’s a great idea for homeowners to roll up their sleeves and pitch in where they can. While ceiling and plasterboard installation may seem like a job better left to the professionals, they can be very rewarding DIY projects, generating significant savings on labour costs that can transform the look and feel of a room dramatically.
Here are my top tips, as well as CSR Gyprock’s step-by-step guide to ceiling installation:
1. Refer to DIY installation guides
Homeowners will be surprised at how quickly they can get the hang of it with the right guidance. The Gyprock DIY Guide for the residential handyman is geared towards homeowners with clear instructions for small plasterboard projects.
2. Plan your work
For best results it’s important to plan each task and sketch and measure the ceiling so you can work out all the materials that you need. Draw a diagram of each room opened up like a shoebox and mark down the measurements. If you take the diagram to a supplier they will help you work out how many sheets of plasterboard and accessories you will need.
3. Choose the right product
In my recent renovation I used Gyprock Supaceil, a superior quality plasterboard that features Gyprock’s Optimised Core technology. The special formulation means it is easier and more flexible to lift with a much cleaner score and snap capability, making it much easier for DIY renovators to handle.
4. Get help when you need it
Placing ceiling sheets in position requires at least two people so make sure you have the right help on hand, and if the job becomes too awkward for you to complete, don’t be afraid to call in the professionals and know you gave it a good go.
Step-by-step guide to installing a ceiling:
1. Before you start ensure that all electrical outlets are checked and isolated by a qualified electrician.
2. Apply daubs of Gyprock Stud Adhesive about 25mm diameter and 15mm thickness, about the size of a walnut, at 230mm maximum spacings.
3. Start about 200mm from where the end of the sheet will go and leave 200mm from the centre nails or screw location.
4. Install sheets at right angles to the joists, using a single length across the room if possible. Nail or screw at 10-to-16mm from sheet edges, fixing one recessed edge to each joist. Press the sheet firmly against the adhesive daubs and fix along the opposite edge.
5. Drive the fastener heads just below the board surface, taking care not to break the face paper.
6. At the centreline of sheets, fasten to each joist with two nails 75mm apart or with a single screw. Nail or screw every 200mm at sheet ends and around any openings.
7. Drive temporary nails or screws through a small plasterboard off-cut, mid-way between the
sheet centreline and edges, to hold sheets tight against joists while the adhesive dries (up to 48 hours)
For more information and to download the Gyprock DIY Guide visit their website.
While I do love the occasional colourful, pattern-crazy interior, as a rule, I’m a big believer that less is more.
Minimalist homes can often make a space look bigger and calmer, however, it’s still important to have some personality! So incorporating building elements, such as cornices, can provide an attractive finish to help create balance and liveliness in a contemporary environment.
Developed for just this need, the new Presto Cornice from Gyprock is a chic architectural feature, delivering a subtle impact while adding depth and warmth. The profile demonstrates geometric simplicity by merging modern design elements with elegantly finished edges. Quick to cut and fast to install, Presto is a cost-effective way to give your ceiling a clean and modern finish and offers a great alternative to the basic look of a square setting.
Presto’s smart and sophisticated design, features a 92mm flat face, which forms a 15mm step along the ceiling. It can be installed on plasterboard, fibrous plaster or cement rendered surfaces and is easily adaptable to any interior.
Comprehensive installation instructions including residential installation guidelines and DIY installation guides and videos can be found on the Gyprock website under the Resources tab.
I love a bit of DIY renovation, because what’s more encouraging than seeing everyday people like you and me, transform their homes into masterpieces? It tells me that while I lack a crafty bone in my body, there’s still hope! So I was very impressed to see Adelaide couple Katie Vagg and Ben Spry’s renovation project that converted an old, dark family room into two bright and fun modern kids bedrooms.
After: Tayla’s bedroom
After: Mason’s bedroom
Built in 1965, their home had all the beautiful mid-century features they loved — a stone fireplace, architectural corner windows, polished wooden floors — but their was one catch: they were one bedroom short.
With three children between them aged five, nine and 10, Katie and Ben dreamed of creating a room for each of them. So after deliberating over the floor plan they finally found a way, deciding to divide a family room into two functional bedrooms.
Before: family room
Before: family room
As a graphic designer, Katie’s experience in home and architectural design had been limited to paper, but with Ben being a production manager and quite the handyman, they had the confidence to tackle their project head on. The final result is two bedrooms full of personality; one for 10-year-old Mason, which features bold primary colours, teen furnishings and a long chalkboard wall, and the other for nine-year-old Tayla, which features a study nook, a built-in robe and a colour palette inspired by gelato and lollies.
After: Mason’s bedroom
With a successful renovation under their belts, Katie and Ben share five renovation tips, which they wish they had known before:
In the design and planning stage, make sure you know exactly what you want. Think about layout and the correct scale and measuring.
Inspiration is very important and you need to visualise what you want to create. A Pinterest board is a great way to collect ideas.
Budget is key, always allow a contingency for unexpected costs.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it can be a great time saver in the long run.
Make sure you are using the right tools, selecting the wrong equipment can cost a lot of time.
After: Tayla’s bedroom
Katie and Ben were awarded the first Gyprock HomeStyle ‘Share your Style’ prize for this project. The competition celebrated the 2013 launch of HomeStyle magazine and invited renovators to showcase their home via Pinterest for a chance to win a share of $6,000 in prizes.
When it comes to putting the finishing touches to your rooms, have you thought about adding cornicing? I’ve always thought it looks so much nicer than nothing at all and in crisp white, it can contrast so well with your wall paint colour.
