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Before & after: Stylish exterior reno for suburban home

By Amy Collins-Walker •

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“At around 14 years old it’s only a relatively young house with good bones and lots of potential. There was certainly nothing offensive about it though there wasn’t anything special either. It just looked like any other slightly dated, somewhat neglected house in the neighbourhood – particularly the one right next door which happened to have the exact same colour scheme!” says DIY decorator Kristine Franklin (of The Painted Hive) who gave this Melbourne home a facelift for a friend recently.

BEFORE
BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER

The home of her friend’s late father, Kristine offered to help get it ready for sale by working on it over a three-month period – primarily on weekends. “Mainly we just wanted to make the most of what we already had on as small a budget as possible! Given the house has quite a simple classic design, and is located in a semi-rural area, I wanted to bolster the subtle cottage feel in a fresh, contemporary way,” says Kristine of her design choices.

The process began with a thorough declutter where Kristine cleared the old decor, removed the dated security screen door and removed the aluminium shade from the sidelight. She then painted the front door a lovely shade of blue (Dulux Duck Egg Blue), installed a new light fitting and added some stylish accessories too. “The front door was a virtual black hole prior and now it’s bright and welcoming and one of the highlights of the facade. It’s probably my favourite little area,” says Kristine.

BEFORE front door
BEFORE front door
AFTER front door
AFTER front door

“Although faux plants aren’t usually my thing, I wasn’t keen on forking out a small fortune on a feature tree for beside the front door given the house is unoccupied and nobody would be caring for it regularly. The fiddle leaf is actually artificial though it looks amazing and is guaranteed not to die throughout the entire sales campaign!” says Kristine.

AFTER faux plants and stylish pots now accessorise the front door
AFTER faux plants and stylish pots now accessorise the front door

Another integral part of the renovation, Kristine painted the original mottled stone coloured bricks using Dulux ‘Texture Medium’ in Antique White USA. “I’m sure some people will wonder why I decided to paint the brick. To be honest, it was never awful however it does look much better in most of the before pics than it did in reality. It actually presents as almost an earthy sandstone when it was actually a mottled cream/yellow with dirty brown mortar. Plus, the house next door has the exact same brick which is never a great thing when you’re looking to sell. I wanted a fresh start,” says Kristine who chose a white paint colour to contrast with the home’s black trims.

AFTER The wall baskets are from Early Settler
AFTER the wall baskets are from Early Settler

A master at DIY, Kristine also built the gable pediment and decorative shutters herself – the latter was painted in the aforementioned Dulux Duck Egg Blue. “All up they cost less than $60 and add the perfect touch of charm and character I was after,” says Kristine.

AFTER
AFTER Kristine built the gable and shutters herself

And while Kristine originally wanted the garage door to be replaced with a black alternative, she’s happy with the way the timber-look steel Gliderol one from Bunnings turned out. “I love the simple panelled design and warm timber-look finish. It complements the other timber elements and duck egg accents perfectly, as well as helps warm-up all the white,” says Kristine.

BEFORE garage door
BEFORE garage door
AFTER garage door
AFTER garage door

“This is the first full facade transformation I’ve ever worked on and I learned a lot! It was so lovely to have several neighbours walk by as I was taking the ‘after’ photos and comment on how good it looks now,” says Kristine.

AFTER
AFTER the little lawn area in front of the house

For more from The Painted Hive | Upcycle your porch with an easy weekend paint DIY

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June 11, 2019

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SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jas SPA VIBES was the brief for this bathroom and @jasminemcclellanddesign delivered. And then some!

"With a keen eye for design, they wanted their main bathroom to feel calm, spa-like and elevated with more storage, better layout, and soft, layered textures in a neutral palette. Lighting was another big focus, with the goal of creating a space that felt luxurious enough to unwind in, preferably with a glass of champagne in the bath.”

Is it a yay or a nay for you?

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for all the suppliers as well as a look at the powder room with its bold wallpaper 😍

#spabathroom #zenbathroom #spavibes #bathroomremodels 

📸 @jonathantabensky
Vacuums, mops, empties itself. Slim enough to get Vacuums, mops, empties itself. Slim enough to get under the lowest furniture and beds.

Comment 'enter' and we'll DM you the link to enter for your chance to win this top of the range $1499 robot from @ecovacs_anz, the DEEBOT T50 PRO OMNI.

Good luck!

#robotvacuumcleaner #robotvaccum #robotvacuummop #robotmop #smarthome #houseworkhacks
>>>Swipe for the transformation! 😮 From cold t >>>Swipe for the transformation! 😮

From cold to cosy!

This primary ensuite for a successful career woman working in luxury cosmetics and homewares is sexy, strong, girly, but sophisticated. We love its warmth and personality.

If you'd like to take the tour and find out where everything is from, comment 'luxe' below and I'll send the link to your DMs!

Bravo @howardlanedesigns 👏🏼 
📸 @capturedbykels__

#ensuiteinspo #ensuitedecor #ensuitegoals #marblebathrooms #statementstone
The latest addition to my @kirstenjackson_gallery The latest addition to my @kirstenjackson_gallery collection. This is a framed canvas and the quality is amazing. I feel like beautifully framed canvas prints are the perfect affordable halfway point when it comes to art.
What's your decor style? Spring, summer, autumn or What's your decor style? Spring, summer, autumn or winter?

I could have told you I was spring even before I took the quick quiz to find out, and pleased to report the quiz gave me the right result!

Comment the season you THINK you are below (spring, summer, autumn or winter) and I'll send you the link to the quiz so you can double check!

Fun!

This quiz from @templeandwebster jumps on the colour analysis trend for fashion and applies it to interiors!

#seasonaldecorating #seasonaldecor #colouranalysis
The @thermomix_au TM7 launch in Sydney yesterday w The @thermomix_au TM7 launch in Sydney yesterday was a real treat. Such an exciting and sleek looking upgrade to my favourite kitchen machine!

The new look speaks for itself and, as usual, the engineering is impressive. Here's the biggest changes that stood out to me:

1. It's SO quiet and in fact SILENT up to a certain speed 
2. It has a much bigger 10 inch screen
3. A new insulated, cool to touch bowl (the inner metal bowl detaches to wash)
4. A gorgeous new matte black design with fluted and herringbone details and made of 30% recycled materials 👏🏼 

Enjoyed a beautiful lunch all prepared, naturally, in the Thermomix! Was great to meet @mise_en_place_aus in real life as well as special guest dessert queen @kirstentibballs and catch up with the lovely Thermomix team.

Tag a friend who'll be coveting the TM7! It's available from next week!

#thermomixtm7 #thermomix #thermomixaus #thermomixlover
Awards are always a great place to get inspo. Chec Awards are always a great place to get inspo. Check out the kitchen and bathroom of the year winners in this month's @hia_au @csrdwelling Housing Awards. There's more winning homes and rooms to check out in our blog post on the homepage, via link in bio or stories now. 

Kitchen by @build.theory Bathroom by @birdblackdesign and @aspire_constructions 

#hiaawards #hiaawards2025 #awardwinninghomes #australianinteriordesign
We're so in love with this reno by @jdzdesigns_ 😍😍😍

It's a remodel of a previously dark and pokey extension to a Victorian Gothic home. It's now an open plan dream, and the transition from old to new is beautifully done with impressive black steel doors.

Head to the blog via link in bio/stories for the full story and tour.

#kitchenislands #superwhite #luxurykitchens #openplanlivingspace #steeldoordesign

📸 @lawrencefurzey
Swipe for before ▶️▶️▶️ This kitchen Swipe for before ▶️▶️▶️ 

This kitchen is small but mighty and very very pretty! Swipe through for the finer details of this reno by Casa & Co Interior Design. It sure went from boring beige 90s to stylish and full of detail and storage!

What do you think?

Read all about it on the blog now via link in bio/stories.

#smallkitchenideas #kitchentile #potfiller #featuretiles #hamptonskitchen #pulloutpantry
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Amy Collins-Walker

About Amy Collins-Walker

Amy is our regular feature writer, an experienced journalist and interior stylist living in Perth, Western Australia. Find out more about her styling work at http://www.amycollinswalker.com/

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenifer Miller says

    April 22, 2020 at 8:52 am

    Hi! Can you share info on the front porch planter pots and plants? Love the look. Thanks!

    • Jen BishopJen Bishop says

      April 22, 2020 at 9:02 am

      If you contact The Painted Hive via the link at the end of the blog post or her Instagram, I’m sure she’ll get back to you! Jen

      • Jenifer Miller says

        May 7, 2020 at 2:08 am

        Thank you!

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