I don’t think I’m alone in thinking home has never been more important. And it’s not just because we have no choice but to be spending a lot more time at home now, but because living somewhere that feels safe, comforting, cosy, and perhaps organised and with a sense of flow, is great for our mental health in uncertain times.
And while many are pressing pause on major renovations, for obvious reasons, there’s a whole world of DIY home improvements we can all be getting stuck into with more time on our hands. My friends have always told me the little things about my own place bother me more than most because I work here and notice them all the time. And I think they’re right! When you notice the same things day in, and day out, they get irritating and the sense of urgency to finish them ramps up!
This home is an amazing example of the difference the little things can make. The owner of this project home has taken it to a next level, expensive looking, character filled, unique residence. And much of that is due to simple timber moulding and paint (as well as a good splash of marble!). Expanses of blank white walls are not exactly cocooning, but panelled walls in contrasting colours, are a game changer, don’t you think?
BEFORE panellingAFTER panelling (paint and marble!)
Wall panelling has been gaining popularity for quite a while now, whether that’s wainscoting, whole walls of VJ or super impactful, detailed, more traditional Hamptons looks. I can’t get enough and I personally installed (well, my carpenter did) wainscoting in our dining room when we renovated. It’s actually pretty easy to do these things yourself though, and the video below from Intrim shows you just how. If you don’t believe me, there’s also more of a guide here.
https://youtu.be/ZJqV4e1GXy8
Bear in mind there are two kinds of wainscoting you can install: recessed panel and raised panel. And it’s the latter that’s a plausible (and very cost-effective) DIY job. Raised panel wainscoting is where the inlay mould is fixed directly to the wall to create a multi ‘picture frame’ across the wall look. It’s relatively simple and excellent for homes where you are looking to add some more subtle detailing without a heavy, traditional Hamptons or American style influence. The video above explains it much better!
Intrim are an Australian-owned business so they’re not experiencing any issues with supply. You can get free samples sent to your door and they can even offer virtual meetings to make sure you’re making the right decisions, measuring up correctly, and to answer all your design questions.
As someone currently renovating a very dated sixties house which was lacking in any architectural features or pretty character, I’ve been learning a few lessons about how to add these things and what makes the biggest difference. I wanted to share my top tips and products for adding some extra va-va-voom to your reno. It’s all about the details!
Architectural mouldings
I’m talking skirting, cornice, paneling and architraves. These are things you may not have given a second thought if you’ve never renovated yourself or have always lived in a new build. It is absolutely amazing how much difference putting a little thought and budget into these finishing touches can make. The addition (or replacement) of these trims can add some serious wow factor!
Paneling in particular is definitely having a moment. Indeed I have used VJ paneling extensively in my recent kitchen and dining reno and I love it. I now want it everywhere. How much is too much?!
I used painted MDF VJ paneling to create wainscoting and add visual interest in my dining area
Intrim Mouldings have some amazing products available and I seriously recommend a visit to their website for inspiration. Recently used by Three Birds Renovations in ‘Bonnie’s Dream Home,’ they certainly have the seal of approval of Australia’s most stylish female renovating trio!
Hamptons style skirting from Intrim packs a punch in Bonnie’s dream homeShadowline skirting is a great choice for modern or Art Deco homes
We recently did a Facebook Live with Intrim, where they answered a lot of your questions on how and when to use mouldings. You can watch it here if you missed it. And if you’re not one of those visual people, check out their online room styler tool.
Who can go past the ever popular Hamptons look? These Intrim products are best sellers.
Flooring
While our kitchen re-do is probably my favourite thing about our part-renovated home, it’s the flooring that has made the biggest difference and I still can’t get over how much it modernised, brightened and added consistency and flow to our home. We also get a crazy amount of comments and questions about it! Months later, I still have all the heart eyes for our Impressive Ultra laminate from Quick-Step. I haven’t spotted a single scratch or dent and believe me, it’s seen a lot of kids running (and riding trikes) around, furniture being moved and tradie boots. It’s a dream to clean and I know I’ll never tire of it.
You may remember that our old floors were a patchwork quilt of cork, dark parquetry and pine boards. Never did a house feel so chopped up!
I really believe you should put a lot of thought into your flooring and buy the best you can afford. Buy well and buy once, as they say. Real timber is beautiful but it isn’t the most practical choice for every home. Do your homework, save up, and your new floor can really transform your home. Read more about why I chose the floor I did.
Doors
Doors (and their hardware) can really date a home. Replacing them can make a huge difference and doesn’t have to cost a fortune. We recently replaced all our internal doors and our front door with beautiful panelled ones from Corinthian’s MODA range (photoshoot coming soon).
The barn door our carpenter created for our laundry is again one of the most commented-on features of our home, and our recent wardrobe door upgrades by Sydney Doors were the icing on the cake of our bedrooms, really finishing them off.
Our carpenter created this barn door from the kitchen to the laundryOur new wardrobe doors
Don’t forget doors and windows! Our windows aren’t the prettiest but you’d never know because the plantation shutters we have throughout do a great job of disguising them!
I hope this article has given you some reno inspo. What would be your top tips for adding some wow factor to your reno?
I am so excited to finally share my new kitchen with you today! Seeing these beautiful pictures makes the last two months of mess and chaos seem more than worth while!
They say the kitchen is the heart of the home and in this house, it really is. Not just because everyone hangs out in this room, but because it really is in the middle of our home. And the light here is the best in the house. It used to drive me nuts that people gravitated towards this room because of the light when it was unrenovated, as we had much nicer spaces to entertain in like the living room! Now I am no longer embarrassed of my kitchen, I am happy for people to congregate in here and admire it whenever they want!
Black barn door hardware from BunningsBar stools from GlobeWest
This really is my dream kitchen. I’m going to blog about some of the finer details separately, but today’s post is just the first overview of what we chose, what we did and why. In terms of layout, this has not changed drastically, but we did get rid of the back door (see before pix at the end of this post) to allow the cabinetry to go right to the end of the kitchen. We were also able to move our fridge freezer into the kitchen (it’s the little things, right?!) because previously there was nowhere to fit it and it lived in the dining room!
The starting point for this room was the cabinetry from Freedom Kitchens. I always knew I wanted white shaker style doors so when I found out this was possible using their new, more affordable flatpack option, the Essential range, I was thrilled. I saw flatpack as an opportunity to make great savings, which would allow me to still have the other things I dreamed of like stone benchtops.
My good friend, TV interior designer James Treble, sketched me out a rough layout I loved over dinner one night and we were off! I then worked with Freedom Kitchens design consultant Nina Hughes to turn that sketch into a detailed plan, taking into consideration the flatpack options available. This in-home service is included for everyone buying from their flatpack range, as well as a site check to make sure nothing has slipped through the net, before your cabinets are made. This really made me feel confident. I think buying a kitchen off the shelf with no professional advice or checks would have made me worry myself sick!
The next thing I chose were the handles. Anyone who knows me or has been to my home knows I just love a brass accent! I was always going to have gold handles and I sourced these from Kethy (available through The Block Shop) after seeing similar in Julia and Sasha’s beautiful Block kitchen. It was a winning combo from the start. I didn’t look at another handle so this proved to be one of the easiest decisions!
Then benchtops: through my job, I know Caesarstone by reputation and I loved their designs. I had three samples on high rotation but I finally went for the most subtle, Noble Grey, for a few reasons. I liked the contrast of the grey with the white cabinetry, and while the Calacatta marble-look designs have been hugely popular recently, I wanted something a little different. Then I saw blogger Briar Stanley from Sunday Collector use Noble Grey in her amazing kitchen and that sealed the deal.
Of course, then I needed to decide on a complementary splashback. I absolutely love tiles but trying to choose some left me paralysed by indecision! There were just too many amazing choices. I could have opted for subways, and I am a fan, but again, I wanted something a little different. So I decide to carry the Caesarstone up the splash as well; a decision I have not regretted for one second! The splash behind the cooktop is really quite deep so it makes a real feature. When the light through the opposite window hits it, it really shows off the veins in it. I also think the streamlined look it has created has allowed me to add my other, more bling touches, without it feeling cluttered or over the top.
Speaking of bling, the gold tap is from Meir and I am so in love with it! Taps really are like jewellery in a kitchen. You can’t miss them so you might as well make a statement! Their new Tiger Bronze colour was released at just the right time a few months ago and I was lucky enough to be one of the first to get my hands on it! Would a gold sink as well prove too much? I must admit, I did really worry about my decision, but in the end, it all came together beautifully. And nobody can believe that sink came from Bunnings!
Of course, a kitchen can (and should!) look beautiful but it needs to function too! Having room for a fridge freezer was a great start! But I needed to think long and hard about the appliances, which I chose from Italian brand Ilve. I was really excited to get an integrated dishwasher from an aesthetic perspective but this one works brilliantly and even has a light inside, plus one which shines onto the floor so you know it’s on (being that it’s hidden behind a cabinet door). I just love how it seamlessly blends into the kitchen.
Choosing an oven was a lot harder than anticipated and something I’ve never done before. I eventually decided on a 90cm electric oven and having that extra space is already proving a Godsend when entertaining. I can’t wait to give it a really good workout on Christmas Day.
Then of course you have to match that with a 90cm cooktop even though I’m not sure I’ll ever use all six burners at the same time! We first wanted gas but had a delay finding out if we could get connected, which led us to opt for induction. I’m so glad we went this route because I bloody love it! I cannot believe how quick it is to heat up, it’s a dream to clean and, importantly, it’s safe, which when you have an adventurous climbing toddler around is one less thing to worry about. I’m also thrilled with our hidden rangehood which allows me to have an uninterrupted row of overhead cupboards.
So, we had the bones of a great kitchen, but there were two other things I needed to achieve: replacing the dated sliding door to the laundry, with a modern take on a barn door and black hardware was the first. I wanted the door to have VJ panelling so we did this by cutting Easycraft panels (I’m in love with this product) to size and fixing them to the front of a very cheap, plain door. We then decided what the hell, why not panel the entire wall and wow, wasn’t that the best call? This wall has become a real feature of the kitchen. We also did the back of our breakfast bar in the same paneling and colour.
Art by the Print Emporium
Secondly, I wanted to tie in the dining area, which adjoins the kitchen and previously had a cork floor, much better. I did this by adding VJ wainscoting to this room and painting it in the same grey (the panelling is in Haymes Paint Chinchilla Fur and the walls are Haymes Paint Greyology 4). It has made a huge difference. Of course, having the same floor helped massively too.
The icing on the cake of all this was our new Quickstep Impressive Ultra laminate floor (more on that next week) which we have also laid in the living room, hallway and my home office. Once that went down, we were finally finished!
A few other things I’m really glad we did and are worth a mention were:
adding bulkheads for a more finished, streamlined look (and no dust or clutter accumulating on top of the overhead cupboards)
putting a power socket in the back of the pantry so I could hide the Nespresso machine and toaster away in there
making sure there was a space for the microwave under the breakfast bar out of sight, so it didn’t have to use precious benchtop space
making one of the five powerpoints (you can never have too many) a USB one (we use this every day to charge a phone or laptop and it has proven really handy)
opting for a pullout double bin under the sink so there’s no ugly bin on show or in the way (I obviously need to get out more but I really love this!).
I could rave about my new kitchen all day but I’ll focus on some other aspects in future blog posts.
Overall, I am thrilled with kitchen and that it is finished before Christmas! I’m just waiting on my blinds (Romans) and looking for the perfect new kettle! A huge thank you to our friends at Integriti Bathrooms who helped project manage this reno.
Now, we could finish this without taking a look back at the before photos!
What do you think of the transformation? If you have any questions, please write them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you.
