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Real Reno: Dated Melbourne apartment gets wallet-friendly reno

December 1, 2016 Leave a Comment

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New floorboards, a neutralย colour palette with pops of mustard yellow and wallpaper, and a clever use of space, has completely transformed a home-away-from-home in Melbourne’s inner south-east for a busy mum and her teenage daughter. โ€œMy daughter and I live here during the week for work and school/university. We have a family home in Olinda (in the Dandenong Ranges ) which we retreat to on weekends,โ€ said Jo McComiskey, former creative director for House & Garden magazine and owner of The Bedspread Shop.

Before living room
Before living room
After living room
After living room

โ€œThe home was previously owned by a lovely old lady who sadly needed care. It had been freshly painted white, which was great, however the soft green carpet had to go. The potential was there, as it was an empty shell once the floors were replaced. It was then a matter of style, a colour palette and clever storage ideas,โ€ she said.

To date, Jo has spent around $10,000 on the cosmetic renovations, which sheโ€™s chipped away at for the past two years, starting with faux timber floorboards from Masters and a kitchen revamp. โ€œThe cabinetry was fine, it just needed tweaking so I replaced the green laminate benchtop with white Caesarstone and the stove top. We also removed all the little silver handles on the cabinets and replaced them with natural timber knobs (I didnโ€™t want any cold metal and prefer the look of soft timber hardware).โ€

Before kitchen
Before kitchen
After kitchen
After kitchen
After
After kitchen and living room

A coat of chalkboard paint transformed the side of the pantry into a handy message board, while the living room, Joโ€™s favourite space, was given a lift by changing the all-white colour palette. โ€œPainting one wall in the living space a soft grey has made a huge difference; too much white can be vacuous and wallpaper adds softness and surprise. The wallpaper is from the Sanderson Home range,โ€ says Jo.

โ€œThe plantation shutters really lifted the space. It instantly lost its tired look once they went in. I love the gallery wall which is still a work-in-progress, and the light from the large windows. Iโ€™ll eventually buy a daybed to position along the windows and little door to the balcony.

โ€œI also made a huge square-panelled mirror for the living area which measures 180x120cm. I bought the backing, mirror squares etc from Bunnings โ€“ it weighs a tonne! Itโ€™s like a Pottery Barn style mirror that stands against the wall,โ€ said Jo.

After enterance
After entrance
After study
After study

The Glen Iris ground floor apartment also had an unusual layout. Jo’sย solution: turn the main bedroom into an entrance and study, and the dining room into the new main bedroom. โ€œEveryone comes in the old main bedroom door through the driveway and garden, so it was odd having that as a bedroom. Plus my daughter was in her final years at school and needed a private study space (her bedroom is too small). We wallpapered the study too in a sweet floral as itโ€™s so close to the garden,โ€ says Jo.

Before dining room (now main bedroom)
Before dining room (now main bedroom)
bedrooom
After main bedroom
After bedroom
After main bedroom
After main bedroom
After main bedroom

โ€œIn the main bedroom I installed floating Ikea storage as space is tight and there were no built ins, and wallpapered one wall in a Scandi style paper, again from Sanderson Home,โ€ Joย said.

Now Joโ€™s daughter has finished high school, the bathroom is next on the reno hit list along with replacing the 80โ€™s silver door handles. โ€œTimber handles are hard to come buy, however I have a source (a friend) and Iโ€™m just waiting on him to change over his handles so he can pass the old ones on to me. If you are reading this Bill…Iโ€™m still waiting, I havenโ€™t forgotten!โ€ she jokes.

After hallway
After hallway

And it seems Jo, who has now overhauled four homes, isnโ€™t the only one in her street with the renovation bug โ€“ her neighbours have also been busy and have repaid her (well sort of) for her patience. โ€œI love our little garden โ€“ I have done a lot of work planting, and for privacy have installed a sweet standing herb planter, a lemon tree, and an extended paved area for seating. The boys at the construction site next door were kind enough to โ€˜donateโ€™ some pavers that matched my existing paving in the garden. How thoughtfulย after a year ofย 7amย drilling, hammering, listening to Eddie Maguire and mountains of dust — it was the least they could do!โ€

–Jo McComiskey is the owner of The Bedspread Shop in Malvern, Victoria.

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Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial Not many friends in life fall into the unofficial family category and they're a special gift. So ends three weeks with @danisteve81 who left her husband and son in the UK (I'm forever grateful they lent her to me!) to come and cheer me up and help me in the most practical ways after I spent Christmas and New Year in hospital. There were tears and I miss her so much already but how amazing to have had all that time together as adults. Such a rare treat and would never have happened without having been through something so challenging. Silver linings and all that. So many other friends have also been incredibly thoughtful and kind. There aren't many times I'd say this without cringing but I am 100% blessed!

I still cannot believe we have been friends since we were 12! 12! Are you still close with your childhood besties?
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.
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