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The reality of a reno: The Interiors Addict & Nest Designs Palm Beach apartment project

By Guest Poster •

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By Emma Blomfield

As we prepare to reveal the finished Palm Beach Apartment project (a joint project between Interiors Addict and Nest Designs) this Thursday, stylist Emma Blomfield tells us about the less glamorous reality behind the scenes of a top-to-bottom reno.

The Palm Beach Project hasn’t been without drama. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will have seen a few of the issues that have arisen!

Firstly, the tenants in the apartment when it sold weren’t the tidiest, so the kitchen, bathroom and carpets had seen a lot of wear and tear. We got to work repainting and giving the apartment a bit of a facelift; that was relatively drama-free apart from the fact that the light switch cover plates were apparently imported from Europe so there were none anywhere in the country that would fit for us to replace them! We also soon realised once the tenants’ furniture was removed, that the carpets would need more than a steam clean so they were ripped up and replaced with gorgeous sisal in a chocolatey colour.

We had planned for the kitchen to be replaced the week before the carpets were laid but the kitchen company had double booked us and had to install a week later. Unfortunately the mains weren’t turned off before removing the old kitchen and overnight the dripping faucet leaked into the surrounding rooms and the brand new carpet was ruined. After much to-ing and fro-ing (48 hours in fact) a carpet cleaning company was called to come and dry the wet carpet. He turned up without the right machine so the carpet was left wet for a further 48 hours. If your carpet gets wet you have a small window of opportunity to get it dried or it’s ruined. Eventually, the kitchen company agreed to replace the carpet.

In the meantime, the kitchen bench was brought in to be installed and cracked just before it was put in place so add another 4 days of kitchen reno to the list. We were originally quoted 3 days to remove the old kitchen and install the new one but it ended up taking 2 weeks after the splashback was finally installed and the correct stove top was installed (the supplier sent the wrong size first).

Another thing you can never rely on is lead times from suppliers. Most suppliers were fantastic and after picking some alternative products because others had sold out (that was time-consuming in itself) from when we first worked on the initial moodboards, we had the bulk of the furniture delivered on time. Unfortunately, the coffee table and side table from West Elm have never arrived despite being paid for in full. We were told a 2-week wait but that turned out to be 6 weeks and after following up 4 times, we were eventually told there were none of these coffee tables anywhere in the world nor were they able to tell us when there ever would be again! So the coffee table saga continues. In the meantime, we purchased a lovely rustic-looking table from Freedom.

Oh, and don’t ever count on anyone who says they will deliver on a specific day, and don’t even think about asking them to call ahead. Because they won’t. The pod chair on the balcony was to be dispatched from a Sydney warehouse and should have taken maximum one hour to arrive to the apartment. We received it 8 days, 9 phone calls and 3 emails later.

So, a reno is never without some drama and frustration behind the scenes and we wanted to share the reality of that with you! Despite all these setbacks, we’re all ready to reveal the finished apartment this Thursday and look out for details of how you can win a weekend away there via Instagram!

For more details on the apartment or to book it, visit Beach Stays.

–Emma Blomfield is an interior stylist at Nest Designs.

emma blomfield
Emma Blomfield

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September 24, 2013

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Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I fir Me and @fantasticfurniture go WAY back! When I first came to Australia in my 20s, it's where I headed to buy everything I needed for my first apartment at an incredible price! And I've loved watching the range get more and more impressive over the years as my knowledge of furniture has increased. I had no idea how extensive their Aussie Made sofa range was though. I'd love you to check out the options via link in bio as I think you'll be impressed! I think we have a renewed appreciation for Aussie Made and supporting local manufacturing and jobs and this is a great success story. We love a bit of high low decorating, and turns out Fantastic Furniture is a great place to find your family lounge, a special accent chair, an extra ottoman for occasional seating and so much more. 

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How gorgeous is this Brisbane kids' bedroom?! 

@brittwhitestudio worked closely with the boys (aged 7 and 9) to understand their needs with a bespoke bunk bed solution crafted by BRC Cabinets, featuring ample storage as well as an under-stair hidey-hole, a useful reading nook for books and a built-in charger for electronics. Local craftsmen Emmett’s Ropes designed and hand-tied the ropework on the top bunk and the supporting pillar beneath.

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Head over to the blog to see how @grafico_walls transformed this blank canvas Melbourne townhouse with their products, which you've probably seen on The Block over the years. And read how Damian Corney has grown this Melbourne business with wife Adele and a growing team. There's also a look inside the very cool Motley Hotel which has used a whopping 4km of their wallpaper throughout!

You can also watch a video tour with Bec Douros as the house featured on Open Homes Australia over the weekend.

Via link in bio now.

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We have all the finer details on the blog today via link in bio. Particularly love the kitchen refresh using the existing blue cupboards which really weren't doing anything for me before 😂

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarEmma - My Bespoke Chair says

    September 24, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    Love the behind-the-scenes dramas! But it looks as though you had it under control. Being a stylist is not all about prettying a place up – there seems to be a lot of leg-work, people and project management.

    But, about those pesky customer service sagas and delivery times…you won’t get that hassle at My Bespoke Chair. We’re on time, every time! 🙂

    Sorry I can’t be there for the Grand Reveal. x

  2. AvatarHunter & Ivy says

    September 25, 2013 at 8:20 am

    Yes, this sounds like a pretty normal kind of renovation to me. I always ask my clients to keep a wide open mind about potential ‘issues’. Renovating is an inexact science at the best of times, throw in a heap of suppliers from all over the country or indeed other countries, mix in some ‘touchy’ tradespeople and voila….you have a roller coaster ride. Luckily, it all comes together in the end and the pain is usually forgotten when you’re busy admiring how brilliant your home now looks ;). Can’t wait to see the reveal! Cx

  3. AvatarShari Dingle says

    September 25, 2013 at 9:14 pm

    I’m not surprised to here your West Elm saga. I ordered items from Pottery Barn Kids in June and after following them up I’ve now been told mid October. I think they need to work on their stock control/customer service.

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