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Real Reno: Interior stylist Tim Neve transforms coastal villa

November 25, 2016 Leave a Comment

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Photographing gorgeous homes up and down the east coast for his book Sandcastles, inspired interior stylist Tim Neve to renovate his own beachside getaway โ€“ and he managed to do it in just four weeks!

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โ€œAt times it really was reno-by-YouTube,” said Tim who rolled up his sleeves and got to work transforming the two-bedroom red brick villa into a boutique holiday rentalย in the coastal town of Forster, NSW. โ€œOverall, I would consider this a cosmetic renovation as I didnโ€™t move any internal walls. However, I went gung-ho and ripped out the old kitchen within the first hour of keys being handed over on settlement day!โ€

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The uninspiring green and white kitchen was brought back to life with a spectacular Carrara marble benchtop, pastel blue cabinetry in Laminex โ€˜Fresh Springโ€™ and his ownย mermania tiles. โ€œThe kitchen is so simple, fresh, modern and inviting,โ€ said Tim of what’s nowย his favourite room in the villa. โ€œThe most cost-effective option turned out to be having the kitchen units custom made and constructed in my hometown of Newcastle, and then shipped up to their final destination. The hard work was done, so all I needed to do was position each unit, level the legs and attach the benchtops.โ€

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Bare brick walls throughout the villa were painted in Dulux Timeless Grey, and feature walls in wood paneling and wallpaper from Timโ€™s Anchorage collection with Sparkk Studio added, to break up the block look. โ€œIโ€™m not usually a fan of feature walls but in this case, it meant one less bare brick wall to deal with!โ€ joked Tim.

โ€œColour and paint are always my biggest styling weapons. The villa is positioned to get sunlight most times of the day, on both sides โ€“ so it always feels light-filled. As such, I took a risk on a deeper wall colour. White furniture pieces, and painting out the dark door frames and doors in gloss white, contrast amazingly with this hue too.

โ€œI also got the sparkie to replace the traditional batten lights in the ceiling with down lights in each room โ€“ a slightly higher expense, but instantly it modernised the property โ€“ taking it into the new century.โ€

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Existing floor-to-ceiling storage was also cleverly disguised using wallpaper and paint. โ€œThe living area doors are covered with a wallpaper that looks like rustic grey wood โ€“ it has now become a talking point instead. In the bedroom, I opted to paint out the cupboards in the same colour as the walls throughout the villa, so they disappear into the background instead. For both, a simple change of handles to large-scale brushed steel ones, made them look like a new creation.โ€

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Plantation shutters in the lounge room were another big expense but according to Tim they look a “million bucks” and were essential to create the feeling of a beachside havenย – a theme that also plays out in the bedrooms. ย โ€œIn both bedrooms, I wanted to create a relaxing oasis โ€“ one for adults, and more of a wonderland for children. I achieved this with layers of mismatched linen in tactile fabrics, and cool tones. In fact, the first thing I bought when I had found out I got the property wasnโ€™t the practical renovation items โ€“ but all the bed linens! They kind of set the tone for the entire look.

“The main bedroom is massive, so I was actually buying additional furniture like an occasional chair, and additional storage to fill the space. The furniture throughout mixes budget buys (vintage pieces with Fantastic Furniture for example) but I like to think the overall effect is far from budget looking.โ€

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In the bathroom, a few low cost upgradesย like newย tapware and tiling over the existing floor tiles, completely transformed the space. โ€œRemoving the old shower screen and replacing it with an off-the-shelf glass panel was another smart choice. For the shower walls, I used waterproof sheeting that comes in a gloss Carrara marble look โ€“ so easy to clean, and didnโ€™t have to bother about cut tiles. All of these items for the shower were a couple of hundred dollars each,โ€ said Tim.

The renovation added an estimated $100,000 to the value of the property and has dramatically increased the villa’s rental return, much to Tim’s delight. โ€œAs a run-down rental it was lucky to bring in $200 a week, but as renovated boutique holiday accommodation I can ask around $2,000 a week in the high season โ€“ thatโ€™s a ten-fold increase!โ€

A relief, considering the renovation – at times – proved incredibly challenging for Tim who set a strict four-week deadline, managed all the trades (many of whom fell illย during the build) and lived on site.ย โ€œAbout two thirds of the way through the process, I had a meltdown. I had been working so hard, around the clock, for weeks โ€“ but the end just didnโ€™t seem to be in sight. However, something happened after that day โ€“ I must have turned a corner emotionally and found new energy, because after that, everything seemed like fast-forward and suddenly all came together perfectly. So, hang in there!โ€

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Needless to say, Tim has now well and truly caught the reno bug, and after successfully completing the overhaul has this advice: “Manage the settlement period wisely. I knew this wasnโ€™t the six weeks to kick back and relax! Instead, I ordered and paid deposits for all my furniture, and started stocking up on the materials and tools I needed. I tried to get three quotes for my trades and custom-made items during this time, but I can tell you now โ€“ contact three and youโ€™ll be lucky to get one formal response. I considered if they had done that, they deserved being considered for the job.”

He admits he was was scared about buying into a strata property. “I had so many changes I wanted to make that actually needed everyoneโ€™s approval, I went into the first meeting with pages of requests, thinking they would shoot them all down โ€“ things like changing the screen doors from the retro 70โ€™s grid style, to a modern security grill. In the end, they not only approved everything I wanted to do, but under strata some things โ€“ like the doors โ€“ were paid for!

โ€œAnother note on strata I didnโ€™t realise — they may have different hours when you are allowed to make construction noise โ€“ reduced compared to normal residential allowed hours, so I worked out I was missing out on at least three hours of productivity a day, compared to if I was renovating a normal home.โ€

โ€˜Benaltaโ€™ Holiday Villa Forster by stylist Tim Neve is available as a holiday rental โ€“ for weekends away or full vacations. Click here to book through Stayz. If you have a styling enquiry, contact Tim here.

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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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