• 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

      Australiaโ€™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

      Weโ€™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 doesnโ€™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
    • AFTER bedroomBefore & after: Luxury Sydney apartments go from drab to fab
    • 5.2-Upcycle-afterWhen cost of living increases put your reno in jeopardy, be smart
  • Reno Addict
    • RENO ADDICT

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

      View articles

      • Reno Products
      • The Block
      • DIY
      • Reno Trends
      • Before & Afters
      • Real Renos
    • Sahara_36_MA_kitchen_2500pxHow to give any home a sophisticated industrial vibe
    • Lounge roomBeautiful St Kilda home renovation references Paris decor
  • Shopping
    • Shopping

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

      View Articles

      • Furniture
      • Homewares
      • Art
      • Smart Home
      • Appliances
      • Reno Products
    • BASOTHO_HERITAGE_BLANKET_KHARETSA_ALOE_12_9065-2The Baobab Collective: authentic and soulful African textiles
    • image004-2Greg Natale’s latest 80s inspired rug range is our favourite yet!
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      While Jenโ€™s a legitimate interiors addict, sheโ€™s no design professional, so she calls on an army of the countryโ€™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
    • Lounge roomBeautiful St Kilda home renovation references Paris decor
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle

      Weโ€™re mostly about the home but Jen also likes to share other things she thinks youโ€™ll love, like food and travel.

      • Recipes
      • Travel
      • Parenting
    • DSC_8605Foodie Friday: Family-friendly French onion soup
    • Isla-MotelHip new motel renovation on NSW South Coast
  • Jobs
    • Advertise on our job board
    • Job Board FAQs for advertisers

Real reno: Changed floor plan transforms Illona’s kitchen

April 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Changing the kitchen layout and laying hardwood floors throughout made a huge difference to Illona McArthur’s family home in Parkdale VIC. We love the practical lessons learned and shared from this kitchen reno.

20150329_174301

Illona and her husbandย spent around $90,000 and three months on the reno and estimate they’ve added around $200,000 of value to their 90s brick veneer home in the process. It was the third and most adventurous reno for the pair, who are fast becoming serial renovators! โ€œOur first reno was mostly just painting, modernising the window furnishings and landscaping. The second, I wasnโ€™t confident with my own style and we were guided by our builder for many aspects of the layout as well as finishings. This reno, I had two years to plan, so I had lots of time to really evaluated how we live and what our needs were,โ€ says Illona. โ€œWe recently bought a run-down investment unit which we renovated as well. I canโ€™t wait for the next project!โ€

When they first moved in, Illona loved the house but knew they’d want to replace the pink kitchen floor tiles and update the kitchen a bit. โ€œTwo years later and after playing with various kitchen layouts, we decided to bite the bullet and reconfigure the entire kitchen space, which involved knocking out a load-bearing pantry. The room was a great size so moving the pantry allowed us to really see how much room we had to work with.โ€ They also decided to reconfigure the master bedroom, ensuite, walk-in robe and powder room. โ€œIt was easy to see the potential once we dared to look beyond the original layout,โ€ Illona said.

IMG_5899
Before
After
After

While the couple renovated for themselves and not to sell, they have been bitten by the bug and are already looking for their next project. โ€œWe just can’t help ourselves. Mind you, I just love this house. It is so beautiful and I am so proud of what we have achieved with this renovation, Iโ€™m not sure I could leave it.โ€

After
After

Kitchen after reno4

The flooring throughout the home was changed from pink/grey tiles to hardwood flooring. They chose standard grade spotted gum (โ€œwhich has all the beautiful knots and colour variations of the natural timberโ€). The pantry which sat in the middle of the room was torn out, giving a large open space to build a new kitchen and dining area. Two additional skylights put in over the kitchen let in lots more natural light.

โ€œMy husband and I (well, mostly my husband!) did all the demolition works,โ€ Illona said. โ€œWe sold our old kitchen on eBay to a gorgeous young couple renovating their first home โ€“ they turned up with a kitchen knife and began the painstaking task of trying to cut through the silicon holding the solid granite benchtop together. It was too painful to watch so we left them to it for two days before my husband just got in there and starting pulling the kitchen apart for them!โ€

They found a local builder who was happy to build without professional drawings which enabled Illona to literally develop the space as the frames went up. โ€œThe cabinet maker was even able to build the kitchen from the drawings I drew myself. We stayed living in our house during the renovation which allowed me to be on site for any decision that needed to be made, whether it was placement of the skylights or hand picking the timber boards which ran up the face of the island. Styling has been an ongoing project and I would say I have finally completed the kitchen space.โ€

As with most renos, there was the odd nasty surprise and once the plasterboard came off, they realised how unsafe the wiring throughout the house was, bumping up the electricianโ€™s bill. โ€œWe also found that there was a gas pipe that had been leaking in the kitchen. I often smelt gas but it came and went and was never a very strong smell. Fixing this increased the plumbing expense as did having to replace the hot water service which decided to blow up two weeks before the renovation commenced!โ€ Ouch!

The kitchen is definitely their favourite part of the reno. โ€œWe ran the hardwood flooring up the face of the island bench. It is just fantastic.โ€ Illona’s biggest advice is to take your time planning and sourcing the materials and furnishings. โ€œEnsure you find a great builder who will meet your needs. If you donโ€™t have your own design style then employ people who do to help. If you do, then employ a builder who will allow you to express it to create your dream home. We did and it was a wonderful experience.

โ€œGo with your gut, we met with quite a few builders before choosing one and a few of them didnโ€™t get the job simply because they didnโ€™t address me in our initial conversations, only my husband. I knew I couldnโ€™t work with a builder who didnโ€™t respect my input from the start. Just enjoy the creative aspect of renovating. It seems hard when you donโ€™t have plasterboard or hot water but it is totally worth it in the end.โ€

FacebookPinEmailTweet

Primary Sidebar

Popular This Week

  • Australian kitchen dimensions: standard sizes for every last detail
  • How to elevate your living room by stylist Natalie Walton
  • Palette Cam 15 apps to help you build your dream home
  • The gorgeous internal courtyard Renovated cottage has unique lookout to take in coastal views
  • Old Newtown bakery sustainably reimagined as unique family home

Follow us on Instagram

Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
"Living rooms are important spaces where our publi "Living rooms are important spaces where our public and private lives intersect."

So says stylist @nataliewalton in her gorgeous new book Style, the Art of Creating a Beautiful Home.

"They are where we gather to welcome guests and entertain. But they are also where we decompress and relax at the end of the day. Increasingly, they are open-plan spaces and need to work within a greater scheme. Bringing all the elements together cohesively requires care and consideration. And, if you want a space that lives up to its true potential, make it personal and create with conviction."

Read an extract, the chapter on elevating your living room, on the blog today via link in bio.

Published by @thamesandhudsonau Pix by @chriswarnes 

#livingroomdesigns #nataliewalton #coffeetablebooks #designbooks #interiorsbooks #livingroominteriors #elevateyourspace
Kids and husband messing with my vignettes again๐Ÿคจ

PS. The coaster was RIGHT THERE ๐Ÿคช
#weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ Need a new blanket? Look no fu #weatherforit ๐Ÿฅถ

Need a new blanket? Look no further than these gorgeous South African blankets from @baobabcollective, sustainably sourced, ethically crafted and imported by a Southern Highlands couple.

On the blog now via link in bio.
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: What Made The Biggest Impact in Jen's Own Reno.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Avatar

About Jen Bishop

Jen Bishop is our owner and publisher and an experienced journalist and editor. Interiors Addict has been her full-time job for more than 8 years. She is married to Damian and mum to Sebastian and Charlie.

More from House Tours

AFTER bedroom

Before & after: Luxury Sydney apartments go from drab to fab

Lounge room

Beautiful St Kilda home renovation references Paris decor

Dining room

Canadian home reno is a riot of colour and fun and we…

Old Newtown bakery sustainably reimagined as unique family home

The gorgeous internal courtyard

Renovated cottage has unique lookout to take in coastal views

Monochrome & brass make for a stylish Brisbane home

Garden

A striking retirement pad on the Mornington Peninsula

AFTER kitchen

Run-down 1950’s house renovated with stylish farmhouse vibe

Klopper Davis Architects

A unique Perth coastal home on a steep, sloping block

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarLiss says

    April 11, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    It would have been nice to see the floor plans!

    Reply
    • AvatarIllona McArthur says

      April 14, 2015 at 9:57 am

      Hi Liss,
      To help visualise the change – Our kitchen/ dining floor space is around 7000 X 6000mm. The kitchen used to occupy half of this space and a large square dining table occupied the other half with a small bar area sitting near the door. The pantry used to sit opposite the kitchen but we had to walk around the peninsula island to get to it.
      We tore everything out (a beam was required) and now the kitchen occupies the majority of the space with a new rectangular dining table sitting opposite the 3000mm island bench. The bar area was removed and a “bar area” was incorporated into the kitchen design as seen in the photo.

      Reply
  2. AvatarJames Mason says

    April 11, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    Big change, great improvement and nice Reno guys!

    Reply
    • AvatarIllona McArthur says

      April 14, 2015 at 9:36 am

      Thanks so much James

      Reply
  3. AvatarKaren says

    April 13, 2015 at 10:33 pm

    Love the kitchen especially the open shelving at the end, nice touch. Was that part of the kitchen install or did you add that yourselves? Im thinking about doing something similar myself

    Reply
  4. AvatarKaren (a different one...) says

    April 14, 2015 at 1:58 am

    Beautiful! Can you list your materials? What kind of counter tops did you select? Is the island made out of the same as the counters with the sink and stove? Are the three refrigerators replacing your former big refrigerator? What is your favorite part of the kitchen? Thank you.

    Reply
    • AvatarIllona McArthur says

      April 14, 2015 at 9:53 am

      Hi Karen, The Caesar stone bench tops are “Organic White”. They are used throughout the whole kitchen. Our kitchen/ dining floor space is around 7000 X 6000mm. The kitchen used to occupy half of this space and a large square dining table occupied the other half with a small bar area sitting near the door. Now the kitchen occupies the majority of the space with a new rectangular dining table sitting opposite the 3000mm island bench. The bar area was removed. Hope this helps to set the scene.
      The main food fridge, dishwasher and wall oven were recycled from the old kitchen. The bar fridge as seen in the photo is a new addition (Husky). This was a compromise as Gavin (my husband) was reluctant to tear out his bar. The cabinetry above the bar fridge houses all his beer and wine glasses etc.
      We have two sinks, both square Franke sinks. Wouldn’t recommend square to anyone as they are difficult to clean.
      My favourite part of the kitchen is the timber flooring running up the face of the island. I also love the skylights, they flood the kitchen in natural light – almost need sunglasses in summer which coming from a dark kitchen that needed artificial light, is fantastic!!
      Gavin would say the bar fridge and the smoked mirror splashback are his favourite items in the kitchen.

      Reply
  5. AvatarIllona McArthur says

    April 14, 2015 at 7:45 am

    Hi Karen,
    The shelving was always an idea I had to break up with white on white kitchen and add warmth. The kitchen cabinet maker built these (yes very talented) from the left over spotted gum hardwood flooring. I was hoping for a more rustic look but I love the way they turned out.

    Reply
  6. AvatarRobyn Hernes says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:37 am

    I love the art work,I am very reluctant to put any on my walls but this looks perfect. Can we know what and where it can be sourced?

    Reply
    • AvatarIllona McArthur says

      April 14, 2015 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Robyn,
      I love the artwork as well as in fact, creating a large wall to house the artwork was paramount to the design of the kitchen.
      It is by an artist named Paul Colbey. I bought it from Voyager Interiors in Richmond, Melbourne.
      Choosing artwork is very hard work I know. My husband and I just happened upon this piece as we had some rare “child free” time and were strolling though some great shops and saw this. It took me 6 months before I went back and bought it though and I was too scared to commit.
      Maybe google Paul Colbey and see what you get.

      Reply
  7. AvatarKate Dyer says

    April 14, 2015 at 9:54 am

    Definitely a great improvement! I’d also love to know where the benchtops are from, and see the before and after floor plans.

    Reply
    • AvatarIllona McArthur says

      April 14, 2015 at 12:54 pm

      Hi Kate,
      The bench tops are Caesar Stone so can be sourced via lots of stonemasons. We just got ours through the kitchen builder’s stonemason.
      Unfortunately I have ‘before plans’ from when we bought the house but given that we didn’t have professional drawings for this renovation, I don’t have ‘after plans’. I have tried to describe the space in answers above, hope this helps.

      Reply
  8. AvatarMel Hancock says

    November 27, 2015 at 8:46 am

    Can we get a link to your Master Bedroom/ensuite/WIR reno?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




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 © 2011–2022 Addicted Media Pty Ltd
Website care by ClickWP ยท Log in

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!