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Before & after: Melbourne reno features spectacular DIY

By Amy Collins-Walker โ€ข 3 Comments

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โ€˜A renovatorโ€™s dreamโ€™ was the best way to describe the Melbourne home pictured below, when it was purchased by Corinne and Ben Taylor in 2013 before undergoing an extensive renovation. Located in Melbourneโ€™s Yarraville, this home was originally built in 1947 and now features a fabulous modern extension at the rear, much of which was completed by Ben who works in construction.

BEFORE front elevation
BEFORE front elevation
AFTER front elevation

โ€œWhen we first bought our house our design goal was to always maintain the original period of the front of the home and build a modern contemporary extension with an open plan layout. We wanted to create a direct contrast between the rear modern extension and the front period style of the home,โ€ says Corinne.

BEFORE kitchen
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen
AFTER kitchen

โ€œMy husband and I bought this house just after we were married and began renovating it straight away. It was our little, but not so little, project we wanted to accomplish together as newlyweds before we began our biggest challenge of becoming parents,” says Corinne who now shares the home with the couple’s two sons.

BEFORE bathroom
BEFORE bathroom
AFTER bathroom
AFTER bathroom

โ€œFor the build, we engaged my father and brotherย to complete the main structural components of the front and rear as my father runs his own building company in Ballarat. My husband and I then engaged all of the trades directly and project managed the build and fit out components whilst both working full time jobs and living in the house the entire time. Letโ€™s just say that this got quite testing at times living with a temporary kitchen and bathroom for over six months,โ€ says Corinne.

BEFORE kitchen & dining
BEFORE kitchen & dining
AFTER living & dining
AFTER kitchen, dining & backyard

With a career as a project manager in the construction industry, Ben tackled much of the renovation himself including the majority of the fit out. He worked on the plumbing (heโ€™s a plumber by trade) and carpentry including the installation of windows, skirtings, architraves and the timber floor. โ€œHe even completed the massive task of measuring up and installing the glass balustrade to the stairs and second floor,โ€ says Corinne.

The glass staircase
AFTER: The glass staircase that Ben, impressively, installed himself.

With 6.5 metres ceilings above the kitchen and dining areas, and a large open plan area at the rear of the home (that spills out to the garden), the new home certainly feels much more expansive than the original. โ€œBy not having a large block we sought to maximise the flow of the house and ensure that every inch was used as efficiently as possible,โ€ says Corinne.

AFTER dining
AFTER dining

โ€œNatural light and high ceilings were very important as we wanted to create a bright home that provided abundant natural light and also natural ventilation. We originally intended to have a single story extension to the rear but then chose to increase this to double storey to allow us to draw as much natural light in with the north facing facade,โ€ says Corinne who also wanted to be able to open the rear of the house up during the warmer months to extend the living area into the backyard and further maximise the use of the block.

AFTER the view from the second floor
AFTER the view from the second floor

โ€œOur interior design brief was to utilise as many natural materials as possible to create an environment of warmth, texture and vibrancy. We chose to use materials such as Australian hardwoods, recycled brick and polished concrete to create this feel, along with light textured tiles to reflect the light throughout the bathrooms,โ€ says Corinne.

AFTER - An abundance of windows flood the space with light
AFTER: An abundance of windows let light flood the space

Photography: Lecinda Ward

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June 5, 2018

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A house with wallpaper in EVERY room? It's a hard A house with wallpaper in EVERY room? It's a hard yes from us!

Take the tour with @grafico_walls founder @damian_corney and @becdouros 

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Swipe for after! What a fab, yet sympathetic, mak Swipe for after!

What a fab, yet sympathetic, makeover of this untouched (but not in a good way!) 50s house by @sellinghousesaus See all the rooms on the blog now via link in bio.

Great use of small space and working with the retro feel of the home while still modernising it.

Bravo @wendymooreedit ๐Ÿ‘

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There's nothing like ticking off little jobs! We f There's nothing like ticking off little jobs! We finally knocked out our 60s brown tile back step and replaced it with a smaller grey one made from @trexcompany Island Mist decking to match our deck (that went in 4.5 years ago) and now painted brick exterior. Making the step smaller allowed us to add in an additional manhole under the back door too to allow easier access under the house at the back. And we made a cover for that too (final slide) using Trex. I say "we" but I really mean our handyman ๐Ÿ˜‰ One plank was enough for both jobs. Why we didn't do this ages ago I do not know but it's done now! ๐Ÿ˜ Installed with @trexrainescape to ensure it stays dry and lasts!

Disclosure: Plank of Trex decking was gifted. I paid for the handyman.

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Mat from @doormatau
Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I fir Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I first came to Australia in my 20s, it's where I headed to buy everything I needed for my first apartment at an incredible price! And I've loved watching the range get more and more impressive over the years as my knowledge of furniture has increased. I had no idea how extensive their Aussie Made sofa range was though. I'd love you to check out the options via link in bio as I think you'll be impressed! I think we have a renewed appreciation for Aussie Made and supporting local manufacturing and jobs and this is a great success story. We love a bit of high low decorating, and turns out Fantastic Furniture is a great place to find your family lounge, a special accent chair, an extra ottoman for occasional seating and so much more. 

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Please don't show my boys this room or they'll wan Please don't show my boys this room or they'll want one like it!

How gorgeous is this Brisbane kids' bedroom?! 

@brittwhitestudio worked closely with the boys (aged 7 and 9) to understand their needs with a bespoke bunk bed solution crafted by BRC Cabinets, featuring ample storage as well as an under-stair hidey-hole, a useful reading nook for books and a built-in charger for electronics. Local craftsmen Emmettโ€™s Ropes designed and hand-tied the ropework on the top bunk and the supporting pillar beneath.

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see and read more!

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Pix by @joebrosnan.photo
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We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony m We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony makeover using @kmartaus stone tiles!

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Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

#kmartaustralia #kmartdiy #kmarthack #kmarthome #modernmediterranean #balconymakeover #balconyideas #diybalcony #budgetdiy #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
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You can also watch a video tour with Bec Douros as the house featured on Open Homes Australia over the weekend.

Via link in bio now.

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Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! 

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Feeling relaxed ๐Ÿฅฐ
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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. AvatarStephanie says

    August 18, 2018 at 12:31 am

    I really am enjoying your renos, but why not show the same perspective before and after?

    Reply
    • AvatarJen Bishop says

      August 18, 2018 at 5:20 pm

      Not everyone takes their before pix with this in mind. Agree it is easier to see the changes when they’re done that way, but if we only accepted those stories we’d miss out on a lot of goodies! Glad you’re enjoying the real renos, we love them too!

      Reply
  2. AvatarKumar Nadarajah says

    August 20, 2018 at 10:57 am

    The renovation looks very impressive.

    At present, Pseudofilm Factory is filming a movie and would like to utilise this house for a scene in our movie

    Please let us know the process involved and if we could meet and discuss further.

    Thank you.

    Reply

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