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How to: Build a stylish family home on a budget

By Amy Collins-Walker โ€ข 1 Comment

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Inspired by grand old Queenslander homes, but adapted to suit life in cooler climate New Zealand, this family home took just six months to build and came in on budget which as many of you will know is no mean feat. Inhabited by a young family of four, the build included many DIY elements to help keep costs down. From upcycling furniture to landscaping themselves, Rachael and Andrew Gowling (of Lover Dreamers) have plenty of experience in sticking to a budget, without sacrificing on style.

The home's exterior
The home’s exterior

โ€œOur goal with the design of this beach house was to create a practical and functional space for our family, whilst maximising the beautiful ocean view. We wanted to create an environment that felt calming, relaxing and cosy. We love entertaining, so a lot of consideration went into our living areas and a big focus went into the indoor-outdoor flow of the house,โ€ says Rachael of the home that is located just north of Auckland and was designed by the couple in collaboration with their architect and builder.

Rachael in her kitchen
Rachael in her kitchen

The financials
First up, Rachael recommends that you really do your homework before engaging a builder. โ€œThere can be many hidden or unknown costs with new builds. Finding a builder that will give you a fixed priced contract can save a lot of money and headaches,โ€ who believes it’s possible to get a bespoke finish on a budget.

Master bedroom
Master bedroom

โ€œIt is possible to achieve an architecturally designed house within a similar budget to a group build company. Itโ€™s just a matter of finding the right builder. It may take a bit of time to find the right builder but the end result will be worth it. This gives you a lot more freedom in the design of your home to achieve a home that is going to suit your needs without paying a fee every time you want to alter a group floor plan design,โ€ says Rachael who also recommends choosing an architect that your builder is comfortable working with to make for a smoother process.

The hanging chair was bought in Australia and carried in Rachael's hand luggage to New Zealand
The hanging chair was bought in Byron Bay and carried to New Zealand in Rachael’s hand luggage

DIY
โ€œOnce the house was complete there were many DIYย jobs we enlisted ourselves to do,โ€ says Rachael who landscaped the garden as well as upcycling furniture including a 2.5 metre dining table bought for just $70.

The dining room features a DIY upcycled table
The dining room features a DIY upcycled table

โ€œUndertaking the very labour intensive job of landscaping included creating a landscaping design plan, moving over 10 tonne of soil and rubbish, clearing the site, preparing garden beds, building and painting fences and our letterbox, rolling ready lawn, building a clothes line area, creating pathways, and planting 325 plants and mulching. It was extremely hard work, especially with two little kids in tow, but they loved being involved in the landscaping too,โ€ says Rachael.

Rachael has a word of advice on the landscaping front and that is to make sure you have the right tools. โ€œI would never again attempt to complete the landscaping without the right tools and equipment! This resulted in over 10 tonne of dirt being dug with a shovel by Andrew!โ€ says Rachael.

Lounge room
Lounge room

Styling
โ€œTry not to buy too many styling items before you move in. Itโ€™s always a good idea to get the large items in place first and then decide on the smaller items as this way you achieve more of a cohesive look and will find you wonโ€™t over-buy things that you figure out later on, you don’t actually need,โ€ says Rachael.

Child's room
Boy’s room

โ€œStyling and furnishing your familyโ€™s home doesnโ€™t have to be expensive. There are many cheap, quick and easy ways to use furniture paint products out there now. Itโ€™s amazing what a quick coat of paint can do to an old and tired looking piece of furniture. The results can look fantastic without breaking the bank. Take our dining room as an example!โ€ says Rachael.

Girl's room
Girl’s room

โ€œI mostly seek out a bargain. There are many furniture and homeware items in our home that I had my eye on for months and waited until they came on sale. I also love finding old furniture to upcycle and give a new lease of life to. There is nothing we own that is really high end. We have young children and I donโ€™t want to be too precious with them about ruining expensive items. I always want our home to be homely and to be lived in,โ€ says Rachael.

Be wary of trends
โ€œSpend money on items that are important to you. After all, itโ€™s your house! However, my suggestion is beware of the latest trend as trends come and go. Choose your long lasting, permanent fixtures carefully. Kitchens, bathrooms and flooring for example are very expensive items and should be chosen carefully as they need to last many years are often too expensive to change. I like to keep the tones neutral in kitchens, bathrooms and flooring and spend a little more on quality products to ensure longevity,โ€ says Rachael.

The custom designed reclaimed barn door was one of the build's special splurges
The custom designed reclaimed barn door was one of Rachael’s splurges

โ€œAs trends come and go you can easily change your wall paint colours, add feature wallpaper, change your furniture and soft furnishings to add colour or to change your style or look of your house completely. That is a much more cost-effective way to update the look of your home over time,โ€ says Rachael.

Photography: Helen Bankers (courtesy of NZ Your Home and Garden magazine)

For more | 10 tips for managing your reno budget

 

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May 31, 2018

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SALE ALERT! Listen up Sydneysiders, one of my fav SALE ALERT!

Listen up Sydneysiders, one of my favourite home stores @shack.furniture.homewares are having their annual warehouse sale this week, from Thursday until Saturday.

HUGE savings on furniture, homewares and decor with 30 to 80% off. Wowsers!

I'm a big fan of SHACK and can never leave one of their stores without a few styling goodies for my place! It's just too tempting!

While you're at the sale, mention Interiors Addict for an extra 10% off!

Unit 16a, 1801 Botany Rd, Banksmeadow NSW 2019

Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd June 2023, 9am to 4pm. Not online.

#sydneyshopping #sydneysale #sydneysales #sydneyfurniture #shackfurniture #shackfurniturehomewares #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #comeshoppingwithme
A door to door continuous curved stone ledge in th A door to door continuous curved stone ledge in this bathroom is one of the cleverest designs we've seen in a while!

This mega ledge, made of Corian, even incorporates a sink, seamlessly.

Combined with venetian plaster on the walls, it's no wonder this Illawarra bathroom by @birdblackdesign feels like a day spa!

Come check it out via link bio.

Lead designer Stuart Gibson says: "One smooth curve, right around the room, from either side of the door opening. As it moves around, it creates a ledge for the bath: for bath oils, lotions, a book and a champagne glass. The ledge continues around and becomes the vanity, widening out to create a custom seamless basin."

#bathroomhappiness #bathroomdetails #bathroomshelves #bathroomshelf #venetianplastering #coriandesign #coriansolidsurface #spalikebathroom #spabathroom #sustainablebathroom
Catch the season finale of @sellinghousesaus last Catch the season finale of @sellinghousesaus last night?

We have all the before and afters for you on the blog now, via link in bio (and swipe for a taster).

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #foxtel #lifestylechannel #beforeandafterkitchen #beforeandafterlivingroom #beforeandafterrenovation #realitytv #housetours #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
๐Ÿ˜ Not sure what's better: the custom mirror abo ๐Ÿ˜ Not sure what's better: the custom mirror above the fireplace in this Art Deco one-bedder or the wallpaper in the kitchen (swipe)?!

It's been a while since we featured an apartment makeover on IA. Would you like to see more apartment interiors? Head to the blog now to see more of this one. Via link in bio.

#artdecoapartment #artdecointerior
#artdecomirror #artdecofireplace #artdecomelbourne #artdecofurniture #artdecobuilding #artdecointeriors #apartmentrenovation #apartmentinterior #smallspaceliving #melbourneapartments #melbourneairbnb #kitchenwallpaper #wallpaperaustralia
Low tox and planet friendly laundry liquid (and sh Low tox and planet friendly laundry liquid (and sheets and soap and powder!). We have a great roundup of the best options on the blog today. 

A whole host of brands are offering eco-friendly, low tox alternatives to the more chemical-laden ones. Not only that, they often smell amazing, look good on your shelf and come in recycled or recyclable (or even better, both) packaging. 

Good for your skin, your clothes and the planet: whatโ€™s not to like?

Do you use any of these?

COMPARE THEM ALL VIA LINK IN BIO NOW.

#lowtoxliving #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle #lowtoxhome #lowtoxlaundry #lowtoxswaps #naturallaundry #naturallaundrydetergent #naturallaundrysoap #ecolaundry #lowtoxcleaning #ecofriendlyhome #ecofriendlyhouse #laundryliquid #laundrypowder #laundrysoap #naturalcleaning #chemicalfreecleaning #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Play room goals!๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป This is just one room fr Play room goals!๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

This is just one room from today's real house tour which I really love because in employing interior designer @issyandhcreative the owners weren't looking for a complete rip out and re-do but rather to work with what they had in their new suburban home (including a dated kitchen) and give it a largely cosmetic glow up with styling and new furniture (some of which was upcycled). 

The brief was to create a family friendly home. "They weren't looking for perfection but rather a warm and relaxing retreat for their busy young family." This playroom though? Pretty close to perfect! And the mum did the colour coded books herself. Love that๐Ÿ˜

Head over to the blog now via link in bio to see the rest of this home.

#playroomideas #playroomgoals #playroomdecor #familyhomes #kidfriendlyhome #kidfriendlyinteriors #familyhomedecor #sustainabledecor #affordablerenovations #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #beanbagchair #beanbags #colourcodedbooks #colourcoded #toyroom #kidsroomdesign 

Pix by @tealily
All the heart eyes for this little setup ๐Ÿ˜ Hea All the heart eyes for this little setup ๐Ÿ˜

Head to the blog to shop this and two other gorgeous styled images from @greenhouseinteriors 

The stunning @mrsniceart artwork has already sold but the good news is, you can still get prints of it!

Styling by Aisha Chaudhry for Greenhouse Interiors, assisted by Nikki McGar, Kylie Harris, Rachael Blake and Max Green. Photography by Stephanie Rooney. 

#poolart #sideboardstyling #buffetstyling #consolestyling #vignettes #greenhouseinteriors #barcartstyling #shopthelook #bluehomedecor #poolumbrella #beachumbrella
Bookworms need a cosy book nook! ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ› Seb an Bookworms need a cosy book nook! ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ›

Seb and Charlie had one of those kid size couches in their playroom but frankly, they'd outgrown it! I picked this Aussie made compact 2-seater Ruby sofa from @fantasticfurniture 

I'd usually go for grey to keep it neutral but as it's in a kid's room I went for this heather blue fabric to make it a little more fun while still classic. There's more than 50 fabric choices for Fantastic's Aussie made range so good luck choosing ๐Ÿ˜‚ 

I left the legs off to keep it below the windowsill. I'm super happy with the quality. It looks a lot more expensive than its $699 pricetag ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

Books, natural light and a cosy couch = happy boys! And let's not pretend they won't be watching the odd movie on there too ๐Ÿฟ because #keepingitreal

#FantasticFurniture #FantasticFamily #booknook #booknookstagram #booknook #bookwormsofinstagram #littlereader #littlebookworm #cosycorner #cosycorner #playroomideas #toyroom #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #aussiemade #aussiemadefurniture #twoseater #kidssofa #kidscouch #bluesofa #loveofreading
Last week we interviewed chalk paint pioneer Annie Last week we interviewed chalk paint pioneer Annie Sloan from her UK base about colour and Aussies' relationship with it. (And how's this for a before & after kitchen?! ๐Ÿ˜)

Annieโ€™s latest green hue, Coolabah Green, is inspired by the Eucalyptus trees of her childhood (did you know she was born in Sydney?). โ€œI made it in tribute to Australia and Iโ€™m thrilled to say thatโ€™s been really popular both here in the UK and in Australia. Itโ€™s a kind of smoky, silvery sage green thatโ€™s very easy to work with and would complement accents of Amsterdam Green deliciously.โ€

Sales stats show Aussies are all about greens while elsewhere in the world greys and blues are more popular from her range. So tell me, are you a green lover?

Head to the blog to read Annie's thoughts on upcycling furniture and more. Via link in bio.

#chalkpaint #chalkpainted #chalkpainting #chalkpaintfurniture #chalkpaintlove #chalkpaintmakeover #anniesloanchalkpaint #anniesloanhome #anniesloanpaint #paintedkitchencabinets #paintedkitchen #paintedkitchens #upcycler #upcyclers #upcyclersofinstagram #upcycledfurniture #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #anniesloan #greenkitchencabinets #greenkitchens #greenpaint #coolabahgreen #coolabah
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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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Comments

  1. AvatarClaire Groves says

    June 5, 2018 at 12:14 pm

    Love this build! I am wondering whether you could please tell us where the dining chairs are sourced from? They’re gorgeous with the upcycled table ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

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