• 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

Self-taught owner builder transforms Melbourne home

By Amy Collins-Walker •

FacebookPinWhatsAppEmailTweet

Today’s before and after project is brought to us by one of our readers, Ivy Huang, who despite her lack of formal design training has delivered something really special in her newly renovated Melbourne home. With a degree in engineering, and a background in project management, Ivy was experiencing something of a career crisis before quitting her full-time job to give her full attention to this amazing reno.

BEFORE front elevation
BEFORE front elevation
AFTER front elevation
AFTER front elevation

Sitting on 400 square metres in the Melbourne suburb of Armadale, the Edwardian weatherboard abode needed some serious love when Ivy spotted it back in 2017. “The renovation combined my project management, technical and site experience but with a really awesome element of creativity,” says Ivy who lives in the home with her fiancée Adrian and their rescue dog, Queenie.

BEFORE bedroom
BEFORE bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER ensuite
AFTER ensuite

“I wanted to create a beautiful, functional family home that would also feel like we were on holidays all the time! I also love entertaining and we receive visitors often, so we really focussed on creating sanctuary-like spaces for bedrooms and bathrooms, and big open shared living areas with an emphasis on natural light and greenery. We leveraged every opportunity for indoor-outdoor spaces too,” says Ivy.

BEFORE backyard
BEFORE backyard
AFTER backyard
AFTER backyard

Ivy specified all of the interiors herself and project managed the build using a variety of contractors. Prahran’s Karl Degering & Associates drew up floor plans and assisted with town planning and a variety of other aspects of the renovation, which cost over $600,000 in total and took eight months to complete.

BEFORE lounge
BEFORE lounge
AFTER lounge
AFTER lounge

“As a professional project manager in business, I was always going to oversee the build myself. It was only when the project started that I realised how much I was loving the experience and started to think I could this as a full-time thing!” says Ivy who reached out to Buildher Collective! (which aims to support female builders) throughout the build. “It’s a great support network of women who are going through, or have been through similar frustrations, trying to succeed in what is a male-dominated industry,” says Ivy.

BEFORE kitchen
BEFORE kitchen
AFTER kitchen
AFTER kitchen
AFTER kitchen
AFTER kitchen

As for the renovation, the home now boasts an eye-catching cathedral ceiling, in the kitchen/living room, that echoes the 3.5 metre ceiling heights found in the rest of the home. “That ceiling has got to be one of my favourite features of the house. Walking in, your eyes are immediately drawn upwards and it’s a ‘wow’ moment,” says Ivy of the space that is entirely glass on one side and opens out onto the lush backyard.

AFTER lounge
AFTER lounge

The main bathroom is another standout space; it features a black cast iron clawfoot bath centred on French doors that open onto a private jasmine-clad courtyard. “If the living room extension isn’t drama enough, we also wanted to do something a bit special for the main bathroom, which is the one used during the day and by dinner guests,” says Ivy.

BEFORE bathroom
BEFORE bathroom
AFTER bathroom
AFTER bathroom. The bath was sourced from Canterbury Sink and Tap.

Three of the home’s bedrooms also have ensuites and the fourth bedroom doubles as a second living area, depending on whether the couple have guests staying. And as for the home’s location, Ivy had always wanted to restore a heritage house in a blue-chip suburb and Armadale is one of her favourite parts of Melbourne. “It’s got boutique shops and cafes, gorgeous streetscapes and stunning period homes, all without being ostentatious, which I love,” says Ivy who has been seriously bitten by the reno bug and already has her eye on the next one.

AFTER bedroom
AFTER bedroom
AFTER ensuite
AFTER ensuite

Photography: Dylan James Photography | Styling: The Real Estate Stylist

Follow Ivy’s reno journey | More about BuildHer Collective

Coloured ceiling pops in Melbourne bathroom!

FacebookPinWhatsAppEmailTweet

February 3, 2020

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.
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/

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. Guy Mason says

    August 19, 2021 at 10:06 pm

    Hi Amy,

    I love this house!

    Could you let me know the colours Ivy used for the exterior?

    Many thanks+

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