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Three Birds Renovations: dated cottage to curvacious family home

By Skye Viviers • Leave a Comment

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Utilising space, championing storage, and building a home fit to last are vital elements to consider for families looking to renovate and modernise their homes. These factors were key when the Three Birds undertook a renovation for two of their followers, Cath and Sarah, and their sons, Chaise and Addison, in their latest project, “Contemporary Cottage”. 

Situated in the historic town of Windsor NSW, this cottage hosted features that were slightly outdated and didn’t offer the much-needed space for a family whose two boys were growing. Finding ways to open up the internal rooms and make the most of the space within the existing footprint of the home by rethinking spaces and adding interesting niches and secret storage, Erin, Bonnie and Lana were able to transform this tight home into a spacious family retreat.

One of the standout ways they created more space was through the clever use of curves that can instantly enhance the flow of different rooms, while still defining the different spaces. As the home already had quite a lot of original curved features, such as corner walls in the corridor, it made sense to pay respect to the more fluid and softer style and embrace it in their new design. 

To modernise the living area and reveal the space’s full potential, the decision was made to knock down the wall extending the living room space into a dining area “We’re massive fans of open-plan living for families and in a home of this size, removing a wall to increase living space makes a world of difference,” says Erin.

“Once this wall was down, the rest of the changes were cosmetic. This is the perfect example of a cosmetic reno and what can be done on a smaller, more achievable scale with less budget but big impact,” Erin adds. 

To differentiate between the two rooms without losing that sense of flow, an arch wall was incorporated using Gyprock Flexible plasterboard. “We’re really happy with how these rooms turned out,” says Lana. “The lounge room is my favourite room in the whole house. The arched wall beautifully frames the dining area and automatically injects versatility into the property. The space is now multi-functional, offering rooms to entertain or relax.” 

Space saving and storage was a special request from homeowners Cath and Sarah, so inclusions such as multi-purpose seating were a no brainer for the designer trio. Underneath the curved arch wall, they built a large double-sided bench seat which offered not only additional seating for both rooms but also provided plenty of storage room inside. 

To marry the curved style throughout the house, the bathroom features include a rounded mirror, shower screen and stunning recessed arch. Perfect for extra storage and display space, recesses are great if there is the wall cavity space to fit them in.

“In the master ensuite, we created a curved recess shelving unit using Gyprock Flexible and finished with a Talostone engineered stone benchtop, delivering a high-end look that also provides a gorgeous nook for special pieces,” says Bonnie.

An important element they needed to tackle in the renovation was noise reduction. The cottage is located on a busy commuter road, up from a Royal Australian Air Force base. Couple this with two young children who love to play, and a solution for better acoustics and blocking out external noise was required. 

Gyprock Superchek plasterboard was selected as the interior wall lining due to its sound resistant qualities, to reduce both the noise coming from outside and the noise transmission between the rooms inside the house.

This renovation shows how rethinking your floor plan and using creative design to open up rooms can really change the way you live in your house, and allows your home to grow as your family does. 

For more on Gyprock solutions

Three Birds Renovations’ dirty blush office makeover
Sponsored by Intrim Has there ever been a better time for a bit of home office inspo? The Three Birds Renovations team recently made over their office, and although they’re…
From beach shack to ultimate seaside pad with Three Birds
The holiday home of Bonnie Hindmarsh was once a humble beach shack in Pearl Bay on the NSW Central Coast. But then, Bonnie’s life changed. With best friends Erin Cayless and…
Three Birds Renovations: laundry design essentials
No matter the size of your laundry, no matter your reno budget, here are the hard and fast rules for a successful laundry refurb. From where to locate the laundry if…

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November 11, 2020

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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. 

#fantasticfurniture #aussiemade #australianfurniture #FindyourFantastic #FantasticFamily #affordablehomewares #affordablefurniture #custommadesofa #custommadelounges #australianhomes #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsdaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Please don't show my boys this room or they'll wan Please don't show my boys this room or they'll want one like it!

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.

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see and read more!

#bunkroom #bunkbed #bunkbedsforkids #bunkbeds #bespokebunkbeds #custommadebunkbeds #sharedbedroom #sharedbedroomforkids #boysroominspo #boysroomdecor #junglebedroom #kidsroomstyle #kidsroomstyling #childrensrooms #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #brittwhitestudio #highriseliving #apartmentlifestyle #penthouses #apartmentlivingwithkids #newsteadbrisbane 

Pix by @joebrosnan.photo
Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3? Just 3 of the kitch Comment your fave: 1, 2 or 3?

Just 3 of the kitchens in the @duluxaus Colour Awards 2023 shortlist which will give you some serious inspiration!

Loads more gorgeous residential rooms to see on the blog this morning via link in bio.

Projects by @studio__bright @kaiko_design and Georgie Shepherd Interior Design. Pix by @arorygardiner @fiona_susanto and @christophermorrisphoto 

#duluxcolour #duluxpaint #duluxaus #duluxcolourawards #duluxcolourawards2023 #moodykitchen #allwhitekitchen #designerkitchen #sagekitchen #boldkitchen #colourfulkitchen #colouredkitchen #theinteriorsaddict #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount
We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony m We're a bit obsessed with Cara Standen's balcony makeover using @kmartaus stone tiles!

Nineties townhouse in Lennox Head or villa in Greece? You decide! All up it cost $2000 including all materials and she did the work herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

Love your work @twin_palms_lennox

#kmartaustralia #kmartdiy #kmarthack #kmarthome #modernmediterranean #balconymakeover #balconyideas #diybalcony #budgetdiy #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Wallpaper in every single room! What do you recko Wallpaper in every single room!

What do you reckon? You'd think it would be overkill but it isn't because so many of the designs are subtle yet still impactful.

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.

#wallpapergoals #wallpaperdesign #australianwallart #australianwallpaper #wallmurals #wallpapermural #wallpapermurals #wallpapereddoor #digitalwallpaper #digitallyprintedwallpaper #customwallpaper #wallpaperaesthetic #wallpapertrends #wallpaperaustralia #grafico #graficowallcoverings #melbournebusiness #melbournesmallbusiness #openhomesaustralia #theblock #becdouros
Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! Kids and fluffy chickens. Does it get any cuter?! 

Braved the rain second morning in a row to feed the animals at @edenfarmescape because life's too short to worry about a bit of mud and drizzle!

Feeling relaxed 🥰
Did you see this cracking little transformation on Did you see this cracking little transformation on @sellinghousesaus last night?

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 😂

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #beforeandafterkitchen #beforeandafterrenovation #beforeandafterlivingroom #renoshow #realreno #interiorsblog #interiorsaccount #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #bluekitchen #budgetkitchenmakeover #budgetdiy #budgetmakeover
How's this for a compact back yard TRANSFORMATION? How's this for a compact back yard TRANSFORMATION?!

Our friends at @mintdesignau have done it again!

Homeowner Briony Marsh says: It’s totally changed our home lifestyle now we can sit outside on the lounge in the sun or shade, be in the pool, spa, sauna or cooking pizzas and hanging out with friends. It sounds cliched but it really feels like we are on holiday at home!”

Head over to the blog to see the finer details, including a sauna and a seriously good looking copper pizza oven. There's a lot packed into this space!

#backyards #smallpools #smallpool #homesauna #pizzaovens #outdoorpizzaoven #landscapedesigner #mintdesign #holidayathome #resortstylehomes #landscapeartist #backyard #exteriorinspiration #exteriormakeover #exteriordesigns #pergoladesign #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Swipe for before & afters of today's real reno. L Swipe for before & afters of today's real reno.

Located inside a 1912 sandstone villa in Adelaide’s Kensington, this bathroom makeover combines classic and contemporary elements that complement the home’s original, period features. 

Designed by the home’s owner @designby_Tahirih, who is a property stylist too, the renovation came sooner than expected after water ingress made the makeover of their only bathroom an urgent necessity!

The whole project cost an impressive $20k, project managed herself.

Read all about it via link in bio now.

#realrenovations #realhomes #realreno #heartyourhome #renoaddict #freestandingbath #classicbathroom #classiccontemporary #classiccontemporaryinteriors #theinteriorsaddict  #interiorsaddict #jenbishop #homestaging #laundrymakeover #bathroomrenovations #bathroomremodels
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About Skye Viviers

Skye Viviers is a fourth year student at UNSW, completing an internship at Interiors Addict as part of her degree.

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