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How to: Build a stylish family home on a budget

May 31, 2018 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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The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_ho The renovation of this 80s beach shack @camillo_house is a work of art and while almost every surface was updated, the decision to keep the original slate floor was genius if you ask us. 

Owner @clarehillier__ says: "With its purple, pink, red and brown tones, the slate was the starting point for our interior palette."

Come and check out the before and afters via link in bio now and read the reno story. It's a real beauty.

And you can book it for your next holiday too!

Blair Smith Architecture @kateshanasy

#slatefloor #slatefloors #80shouse #80sbeauty #camillohouse #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #realreno #holidayhousesofinstagram #morningtonpeninsulahomes #morningtonpeninsula #morningtonpeninsulasmallbusiness #blairgowrie #blairgowriebeach #airbnbstyle
Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’— Me and my boys ๐Ÿ’—
Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for thr Just a couple of dorks who've been friends for three decades going out for a child-free dinner ๐Ÿ’“๐Ÿ˜
Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damia Excuse me while I die of a cute attack ๐Ÿฅฐ @damianfrancis 

This doesn't happen often these days!
Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks Hello friends! Just thought I'd say hi. Two weeks since leaving hospital and I'm doing much better than I expected to be at this early stage. A long recovery road ahead but making progress in how much I can move my arm and although I drag myself through some days non-stop yawning, others I can go for a little walk or out for lunch before collapsing on the couch! I can now tie my own hair back and put on a real bra which is very exciting ๐Ÿคฃ Having my bestie here to help us with the boys, drive me places and just be brilliant positive company is the best thing I could have asked for not to mention the many Dinner Ladies vouchers from friends! Thanks for all your kind messages, cards, flowers, gifts and offers of help โค๏ธ
I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping I definitely feel like a statistic now but hoping to raise some awareness off the back of my misfortune (and also very lucky escape).

@newsouthwaleshealth have just put out this warning about a rise in serious bacterial infections. iGAS (invasive group A streptococcus) is what caused my necrotising fasciitis and sepsis.

Apparently there's similar happening in VIC too.

It's extremely rare but very serious nonetheless so please have a read and be aware of symptoms. I've linked to the article from a button via my link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #jenbishop #necrotisingfasciitis #groupastrep #groupastreptococcus #sepsis
While new technologies continue to shape the inter While new technologies continue to shape the interior design scene, one that has been getting a fair bit of traction of late isย marble-look porcelain. A cheaper alternative to natural stone, the latest printed porcelain tile technology makes it difficult to distinguish from the real thing.

Founded by husband and wife duo Anton and Rita Bourtsev, Sydneyโ€™s @kaolintiles has a unique offering in this space with over 100 different marble-look tile designs in small and large formats.

More via link in bio now.

#porcelain #porcelaintile #porcelaintiles #largeformattiles #largeformattile #marblelooktiles #bathroomtrends2023 #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #heartyourhome #realrenovations #goldsink #brasssink #jenbishop #kaolin #kaolintiles #interiorsblog #interiorsblogger
Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I Promise this is the last wretched hospital photo I'll post and I hope to be home and with my lippie back on by Monday. You know it's serious when I'm lipstick free, right?!

This was about a week ago in intensive care. And although my arm is still bloody sore I'm now on a normal ward and no longer attached to any drips, drains or a catheter. I've come a long way.

This has been the most physical and mental challenge of my life but I'm through the worst. I kept my arm. The doctors saved my life.

I cannot say it enough times. If you're worried about your health, don't hang around. Things can change so quickly. 

A huge thanks to my amazing husband @damianfrancis We've had the hardest year yet and our marriage has never been stronger, even if my rings did get cut off my finger in hospital ๐Ÿ˜œ

As great of a job as he is doing at home with the kids, I cannot wait to get home now. Countdown is on to a new year and a fresh start.

And I can't say enough just how overwhelmingly grateful I am to all the medical professionals involved in my care, from the @healthdirectaus nurse who sent me to Emergency to the exceptional surgeons, doctors, nurses and support staff.

Happy New Year, everyone. Remember you never know what's around the corner and this is not a dress rehearsal!

And huge thank you for all your kindness here. Has been amazing while stuck in bed.

Xxx

For those who missed it, I was unlucky enough to get necrotising fasciitis. You'll have to Google it.
The unluckiest girl or the luckiest? Day 6 in int The unluckiest girl or the luckiest?

Day 6 in intensive care after suddenly coming down with a very serious necrotising fasciitis in my elbow on Sunday. Four operations later (with more to come) I'm out of the woods, alive and have my arm. But I won't be going home until after Christmas. Also picked up a bonus bit of pneumonia to keep things interesting.

I won't lie. This has been super super hard but I feel extremely lucky nonetheless. Have come across some exceptional surgeons, anaesthetists, doctors and nurses who have been incredibly kind at my most vulnerable as well as great at their jobs. I'm really grateful. Huge thank you to my amazing husband who is holding down the fort with the help and cooking of our wonderful friends. And to friends who check in, send love, flowers, snacks and sushi, I will never forget it.

Of course I will be sad tomorrow but my boys can visit and we will have another Christmas next month.

I'll leave you with this. Never ever ignore those health niggles. @healthdirectaus is always a great starting point.

Wishing you all a merry Christmas and will enjoy everyone else's celebrations on here with only a hint of bitterness ๐Ÿ˜‰

PS. Does this win the most unflattering photo of me ever published? I think so! No lippy for a WEEK.
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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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