• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Interiors Addict

Heart Your Home

@interiorsaddict on Instagram   @interiorsaddict on Facebook   @interiorsaddict on Pinterest  
Subscribe
  • Job Board
  • About
  • Before & Afters
  • RENO ADDICT
  • Kitchens
  • Bathrooms
  • Kids Rooms
  • Bedrooms
  • Living Room
  • Shopping
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipes
  • Parenting
  • Travel
Interiors Addict
  • Job Board
  • About
    • Our Story

      Australia’s largest interior design, styling and renovation blog for the everyday Aussie. By former journalist and magazine editor Jen Bishop, the original interiors addict!
      READ MORE

      We’re big on Instagram!
      @interiorsaddict

      • About
      • Contact Interiors Addict
      • Work with Interiors Addict
      • Advertise / Find a job in Interiors
      • Press
    • Get Your Free Ebook

      This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • By Room
    • Browse by Room

      Where you can search for all our posts about a specific room. Only interested in kitchens and bathrooms? We got you!

      • Kitchens
      • Bathrooms
      • Kids Rooms
      • Bedrooms
      • Living Room
      • Home Office
      • Dining
      • Laundry
      • Outdoor & Exteriors
      • Renting
    • bookcover-jens-reno
  • Before & Afters
    • Before & Afters

      Who doesn’t LOVE a good before & after? If you want to be inspired by the whole reno process, and not just the shiny photos at the end, this is the place for you!

      View Articles

      • Before & Afters
      • Jen’s reno
      • Real Renos
      • RENO ADDICT
    • DSC_0257Designing Wandarra: Breathing new life into a 1980s homestead
    • 20240206_185022-01Before & after: tiles steal the show in 90s kitchen revamp
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

      Looking for reno inspo? Find it all here, from other people’s projects to the latest trends, tools and products, whether you’re DIY-ing or employing trades.

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • Rosso Levanto.2Stunning showroom designed to be a real life Pinterest board
    • Northmead cube bathroomsDi Lorenzo Tiles open new showroom as family business thrives
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

      Want to know where to buy the latest furniture, homewares, rugs, art and more? We’re always sharing our latest finds and telling you where you can buy them.

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • Rosso Levanto.2Stunning showroom designed to be a real life Pinterest board
    • kuddlava-table-lamp-pleated-white__1416409_pe975547_s5.jpgWhat’s new in furniture and homewares: June 2025
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jen’s a legitimate interiors addict, she’s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the country’s best to share their expertise with you. Be inspired by their stories too!

      View Articles

      • Decorating 101
      • Interviews
      • Expert Tips
      • Before & Afters
      • House Tours
      • Designers
      • Styling
      • Renovating
      • Real Renos
      • Covet my coffee table
    • Kaye_1368_LRBreathing new life into Sorrento’s limestone heritage
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      We’re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks you’ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • Salted Choc PB PretzelFoodie Friday: Salted chocolate peanut butter pretzel cocktail
    • Muse marrakech Retreats Co Riad Botanica courtyardAussie in Morocco launches design retreat in Marrakech
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

Real reno: An unrecognisable family home transformation

By Jen Bishop •

FacebookPinWhatsAppEmailTweet

This real reno for profit was completed by our resident expert Naomi Findlay in Newcastle NSW. I’ve had the pleasure of looking around it myself so I can vouch for what a beautiful and clever job she did!

This four-bedroom brick and tile home transformation took the serial renovator and her team six weeks with a budget of $110,000. To look at it now, you’d never know what a challenge it was: “It had an impossible layout and floorplan with disproportioned spaces and rooms with far too many doors,” says Naomi. But of course, she saw the potential. It wasn’t straightforward; the whole place had to be rewired and pretty much re-plumbed.

10 silk home
After: kitchen

11 silk home

Before: kitchen
Before: kitchen

The floorplan changes were complex but as you can see, more than worth it!

I’d agree with Naomi that creating the master suite (a bedroom large enough for a lounge area with the benefit of having a deck off it, and an en suite so generous most people would be delighted to have it as the main bathroom!) made the biggest impact. Not surprisingly, it’s also her favourite part of the reno, along with the main bathroom.

4 silk home
The new master suite

5 silk home

Before: master suite
Before: master suite
The impressive en suite
The impressive en suite
6 ensuite silk home
Before: en suite

Creating the large deck area brought the yard and the house together and Naomi says the best bargains were the locally made timber vanity tops and above bench bowls.

18 silk home
After: deck
17 external silk home
Before: exterior

“The biggest learning was to keep it simple. Good design does not have to be tricky but instead simple and clever.”

Before: bedroom
Before: bedroom
After: bedroom
After: bedroom

As a true reno addict there’s no question of Naomi doing it all over again!

Her advice for would-be renovators:

  • Have a plan from the get go
  • Have a budget and a healthy buffer
  • Be surrounded by a team you trust
  • Be proactive and assume nothing when it comes to communication. Comms are key!

Naomi runs staging, styling and design company Silk Home in the Newcastle and Hunter Region, NSW and the International Institute of Home Staging (IIHS). If you’re interested in home staging, check out her conference happening in Sydney next month.

If you’d like to ask Naomi any questions about this reno, please comment below.

FacebookPinWhatsAppEmailTweet

June 18, 2015

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Australian bathroom standards: dimensions explained by an expert

  • A luxurious slice of Italy on the NSW South Coast

  • Latest Kmart Home range, coming later this month

  • I tried the latest robot window cleaner and I’m obsessed!

  • Foodie Friday: Easy roast chicken with an Australian touch

Follow us on Instagram

@decordesignshow day 2 @decordesignshow day 2
Lots to see and great networking at @decordesignsh Lots to see and great networking at @decordesignshow today
Nestled among the rolling vineyards of the Shoalha Nestled among the rolling vineyards of the Shoalhaven area on the NSW South Coast, former Block contestants @rachelandryan Carr have transformed a tired rural property into a luxurious holiday retreat that feels like a slice of Italy. Surrounded by the natural beauty of gum trees and rural views, the property is designed to transport guests to the heart of Tuscany, blending the charm of the Australian landscape with the elegance and luxury of Italian design. 

See more on the blog now, via link in bio and stories.
Australia's first 3D printed house is complete! An Australia's first 3D printed house is complete! And this pair of duplexes look pretty stylish too! Ground floor is printed concrete and the top floor is made from lightweight modular panels.

Want to read all about it and see more pix? Comment '3d" and we'll send the article link straight to your DMs! Or find it on the homepage via link in bio.

#3dprinting #3dprinted #3dprintedhouse #3dprintedhome #3dprintedhomes #houseofthefuture #australianhomes #australianhousing
New @kmartaus home coming later this month and her New @kmartaus home coming later this month and here's a few of the standouts, with pricing and more info on the blog now, via link in bio.

Anything catch your eye?

#kmartaustralia #kmarthome #kmartaus #kmartstyling #affordablehomedecor
A custom look on a budget: we love how this rangeh A custom look on a budget: we love how this rangehood cover was fashioned from a piece of American oak benchtop!

This fresh coastal kitchen showcases some of @kaboodlekitchen's latest products to achieve a truly individual space, without paying a small fortune. V groove doors, premium wireware inserts and a concrete look benchtop make for a great combination that's at the same time on trend and timeless. 

See more on the blog now via link in bio and stories.

#flatpackkitchen #budgetkitchen #uniquekitchen #bluekitchencabinets #vgroove #kaboodle #kaboodlekitchen
Swipe for before An interior designer shares the Swipe for before 

An interior designer shares the clever ways they took this homestead from tired 80s to a welcoming country retreat for holidaymakers without spending a fortune or starting from scratch.

This fireplace became a beautiful focal point after a lick of paint, for example.

See more before and afters from @wandarra_homestead on the blog now via link in stories/bio.
How heavenly is AFL star @rhysstanley_'s home he s How heavenly is AFL star @rhysstanley_'s home he shares with wife @kirstenstanley_ and their young kids?!

When they first set eyes on an expansive acreage on Victoria's Surf Coast, they knew it was the perfect place to build their forever home and embrace working farm life. @studiohallihan helped them bring it all together perfectly!

Take the tour on the blog now, via link in bio and stories.

#modernfarmhousehomes #australianfarmhouse #workingfarm #surfcoastlife #foreverhomes #farmhousestylehome #geelongfootballclub #geelongcats
Brand new furniture in an 1877 house and IT WORKS! Brand new furniture in an 1877 house and IT WORKS!

@castleryau have named the talented stylist @stevecordony as their first Australian brand ambassador and he's curated a capsule of their furniture which he styled to perfection at his stunning country house @rosedale_farm 

I was lucky enough to see the pieces in situ last week and I honestly couldn't believe how well it all worked! They were going for accessible luxury and well, he delivered, and then some!

Head to the blog via link in bio to read more about the partnership.

#castlery #castleryau #stevecordony #rosedalefarm #affordablefurniture #australianstylist
Follow on Instagram
Visit Jen's profile on Pinterest.

Get Your Free Ebook

Ebook cover

Never miss the latest renovating and interiors products, news and inspo again! Sign up for our newsletter and we'll send you the best bits from the blog, direct to your inbox. Plus you'll get our latest eBook: Just One Thing To Elevate Your Interior, featuring Australia's top design talent.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Jen Bishop

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. She founded Interiors Addict in 2011. Jen also works as a copywriter and comms consultant to small business owners and brands, helping them with their own content as well as working out what will make them appealing to the media.

More from Before & Afters

Designing Wandarra: Breathing new life into a 1980s homestead

Before & after: tiles steal the show in 90s kitchen revamp

Kerb appeal: 3-bedder given fresh new look for retirees

Something out of nothing: reading nook created in roof space

Love it or hate it? A kitchen with not one but two…

Luxurious black and gold glow up for Sydney city bolthole

Arts & Crafts home’s heritage restored while giving it new life

Before & after: 80s home given new life to stay in the…

Apartment brought back to life by interior designer

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim says

    June 18, 2015 at 10:42 am

    Hi there, gorgeous transformation! Can you let me know where that fabulous copper floor lamp is from? Thanks! Kim

  2. Naomi Findlay says

    June 18, 2015 at 1:10 pm

    Hi Kim, it is from a wholesale supplier of ours, please inbox me [email protected] and I can help you get your hands on one!

  3. Philipa Caulfield says

    June 18, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Hi Naomi,

    Such a gorgeous job jere!!! Was wondering where you got the glass top table in the lounge room from? Simple yet so lovely.

    love your work!

    • Naomi Findlay says

      June 19, 2015 at 5:17 am

      HI Philipa, that one is from Milan Direct.

  4. Nicole says

    June 18, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    Hi Naomi,

    This renovation is stunning! Would it be possible to find out the size/dimensions of the ensuite and where the kitchen cabinets came from?

    Thank you 🙂

    Nicole

    • Naomi Findlay says

      June 19, 2015 at 5:19 am

      HI Nicole
      Thank you for your kind words, the ensuite was around 3.2 x 3 metres from memory, the kitchen was made by a local custom joiner.
      Thanks
      Naomi

  5. Belinda Smith says

    June 21, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    Hi Naomi,
    Fantastic transformation! The house looks very appealing and you cleverly kept your spend down. Were you happy with the sale price and the final profit margin after expenses?

    Kind Regards
    Belinda

Promo Area

Footer

Interiors Addict

Interiors Addict

  • About
  • Contact
  • Work with Jen
  • Press
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure Policy

Browse

  • RENO ADDICT
  • Jen’s Reno
  • House Tours
  • Real Renos
  • Interviews
  • Styling
  • Designers
  • Bedrooms
  • Covet My Coffee Table
  • Expert Tips
  • The Block
  • Art
  • Furniture
  • Recipes

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RENO ADDICT

Copyright © 2011–2025 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP · Log in