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Real reno: A realistic makeover in Brisbane

By Amy Collins-Walker •

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Completed over a three and a half month period, this three bedroom, one bathroom brick home in Brisbane was overhauled recently by graphic designer and event organiser Lisa Ma and her carpenter partner Paul Harrison who caught the renovating bug after completing a major transformation on their own home.

BEFORE front elevation
BEFORE front of the home
AFTER front of the home
AFTER front of the home

“We lived through our home renovation and realised we wouldn’t want to do it again! That’s why we’re happy to enjoy all of our hard work, and continue working projects where we can come home and have a warm shower! We now have a passion for taking dated homes and making them more contemporary and liveable,” says Lisa.

BEFORE kitchen
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen
AFTER kitchen

A deceased estate, Lisa and Paul were looking for a home to add value to and then on-sell. “It was a privilege to make the dated home more contemporary for a young family to enjoy. We wanted to bring life back into it,” says Lisa of the home that is located in the Brisbane suburb of Keperra. “It’s a growth suburb for families and has surrounding bushland and hills. The area where this home is in used to be an old drive-in cinema and we love this quirky fact!” says Lisa.

BEFORE bedroom
BEFORE bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER bedroom

“The one thing that I insisted on was that if we had to keep the existing plumbing in the bathroom, we had to have a touch of luxury with Carrara marble tiles laid in herringbone for the shower niche. Now when someone walks into the bathroom it’s the first thing they notice and comment on. With all our renovations, we insist on shower niches, preferably one that is clearly visible from the door –  you want to be able to walk past and have it capture your gaze,” says Lisa.

BEFORE bathroom
BEFORE bathroom
AFTER bathroom
AFTER bathroom

Lisa’s favourite part of the project involved demolishing a non-structural wall that divided the living and kitchen. “It created a better flow, and let so much more natural light to flow through. It’s hard to believe it was the same house if you remember what it looked like before. It no longer feels closed off, and the new cushion laminated flooring makes it feel so big when it’s quite a small house compared to much larger family homes!” says Lisa.

BEFORE living room
BEFORE living room
AFTER living room
AFTER living room – the removal of an internal wall near the kitchen really opened up the space

Another of Lisa’s favourite parts of the renovation is the new alfresco area. “The new covered outdoor entertaining area has been the biggest wow factor. It has a fly-over roof with insulated panels and overlooks a big flat backyard with firepit and room for a pool. It has me dreaming of summer,” says Lisa.

BEFORE backyard
BEFORE backyard
AFTER backyard
AFTER backyard

Photography: Urban Abode Photography

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September 27, 2018

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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. Tea says

    September 27, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    What is the wall colour in the lounge room?

    • Lisa says

      October 1, 2018 at 6:45 pm

      Hi Tea, the wall colour is Lexicon half. Hope this helps! Cheers Lisa

  2. Arda says

    November 8, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    The house has been tastefully decorated. Congratulations…The white color used in the kitchen and bathroom also increased the elegance and showed wide the spaces.
    As a small suggestion here you can increase a piece of this beauty by using peshtemal Turkish towels and peshtemal tea towels with tassels in vibrant colors.

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