Gone are the days where the laundry is a mere utility space. Ours is one of my favourite spaces. It fills me with joy to look down our kitchen into this space which is not a feeling people typically equate with the laundry. The nude coloured Venetian Plaster makes this room glow. It invites you in like an alluring sunset.

Laundry

Wall finish: Istinto Levigata

Rug: Vintage from AU Rugs

Flooring: Polished concrete completed by Ozgrind

Benchtop: WK Quantum Quartz Q6 in Bianco Classico

Cupboards: Freedom Kitchens in Slate green

Cupboard handles: Lo and Co Interiors

Farmhouse Basin: Abey

Tapwear: ABI Interiors

Appliances

Washing Machine: Electrolux 9kg Front Load Washer with SensorWash EWF9043BDWA

Dryer: Electrolux 8kg Heat Pump Dryer EDH803BEWN

Carlene x

I agonised over the choices in this kitchen. Choosing hard surfaces is hard. I thankfully have a husband who is a gun at layout. That part just isn’t fun for me. We’d lived in this house for a long time before embarking on this renovation which helped us with some non-negotiables.

For instance, we wanted a huge fridge and freezer. We were sick of having to dig deep for our food. I also knew I wanted a large sink but no sink on the island bench. We’d learnt that sinks on the island always made our house feel messy. Having the sink in the unofficial butler’s kitchen was the best move we could have made on this plan. The other pearl in this space is the appliance cupboard which houses our Thermomix, Coffee machine and Toaster amongst other things. We love having easy access to these whilst still keeping them behind closed doors.

Kitchen Details

Kitchen Benchtop Grey: WK Quantum Quartz Q6 in Pietra Grey

Kitchen Benchtop White: WK Quantum Quartz Q6 in Bianco Classico

Wall colour: Resene Robin Egg Blue Quarter

Splashback Tiles:  Zellige Tiles by Tiles of Ezra

Kitchen Tapware: Hydrotap G5 by Zipwater

Door Knobs Back Bench: C233 Brass from Optimum Brasses

Door Knobs Island and Butlers Kitchen: Ascot Knob in Small by Lo and Co Interiors

Cabinetry: Freedom Kitchens in Slate Green

Artwork: Vintage

Farmhouse Sink: Louis Chambord by Abey Austraia 

Pendant: Beacon Lighting

Appliances

Cooktop: Electrolux EHG955SD 5 Burner Gas Cooktop

Rangehood: Electrolux ERI842DSD Integrated Rangehood

Oven: Electrolux EVEP916DSD Multifunction Pyrolytic Oven

Fridge: Electrolux ERE5047SB 501L Stainless Steel Refrigerator

Freezer: Electrolux EFE4227SB 425L Stainless Steel Freezer

Fridge & Freezer Trim: Electrolux ETK7070 Combined Trim Kit powder coated to match joinery in Dulux Spiralina

Dishwasher: Electrolux ESL8530RO RealLife XXL Fully Integrated Dishwasher

Carlene xx

The renovation of this classic 1920’s Queenslander home demonstrates how a home can be modified to respond to modern needs of a young family of 4, whilst being sympathetic to the home’s origins. We met local businessman Matt and his wife Vali at the airport while grabbing that all neccessary pre-flight coffee. Matt struck up a conversation with us as an employee of his had been one of the electricians on The Black in Melbourne. A few months later, he reached out to us to design their full home renovation of their gorgeous 1927 Queenslander home.

The beauty of the job was its proximity to our own house, located in a semi-rural pocket near Currumbin. The area mostly comprised of acreage properties, with mature trees and grassy paddocks populated by cows and horses, all under 15 minutes to the beach – encapsulating the best of both worlds = heaven!

Matt and Vali had purchased the 1.4-acre (0.56ha) property in 2015 after years of living in a very modern home. It was love at first sight for them and their two young children, mainly because the two-storey Queenslander had the family feel they’d yearned for. They were surprised to learn that the house was originally built in the heritage area of Ipswich and relocated by the previous owners.

We were given the following brief: to renovate the interior in an architecturally sympathetic way. Often the integrity of these old buildings is lost during the update, so we were excited to show how this house could be transformed while celebrating its history.

Find below our resources guide for this classic Queenslander with a few of our favourite pieces that brought this project to life.

Dining

Natural light wasn’t in abundance in this house, so we added skylights to the kitchen and dining area.

Dining Table – ‘Parquetry’ Elm Dining Table

Dining Chairs – ‘Provincial’ Chairs from Village Stores

Pendant Lights – Vintage

Artwork – Kimmy Hogan

Floor Rug – Hypnose in Blue from Decorug

Paint colour – Resene Half Wan White

Entrance

Opposite the front door on the first floor is a nook for coat, bag and shoe storage.

Cabinetry – Polytec Ultra White

Cushion Fabric (built-in seat) – Stippled print from These Walls

Multi Hook – ‘Geo’ with antiqued brass finish from West Elm

Paint colour – Resene Half Wan White

Living

The living room has my heart. We worked with the moodiness of the house by opting for a rick, saturated wall colour that feels like a warm hug and allows the art to pop off the walls. I also love the floor-to-ceiling bookcase. My favourite aspect, though, is one I’m not responsible for – the beautiful stained-glass windows at the entry.

Sofa – Upholstered in Warwick Fabrics ‘Husk’ fabric in Steel from Molmic

Armchair – Upholstered in Warwick Fabrics ‘Axella’ Denim from Molmic

Side Table – ‘Ink Round‘ from Early Settler

Floor Lamp –  ‘Calais‘ in brass from Emac & Lawton

Artwork (pandanus and kangaroos) – Kara Rosenlund

Artwork (foliage) – Kimmy Hogan

Artwork (jar with nasturtium and jug) – Elizabeth Barnett

Wall Panelling – Easycraft VJ Panelling

Paint colour – Resene Wedgewood

Master Bedroom

Bedhead – Custom made by Heatherly Designs

Paint colour – Resene Wedgewood

Wall light – Pottery Barn

Art – Kara Rosenlund

Bed linen – I Love Linen

Bedside Table – Pottery Barn

Lamps – West Elm

Kids Bedroom 

Bed – ‘Willow’ from Fantastic Furniture

Quilt Cover – ‘Creature Features’ from Target

Bedside Table – ‘Elise’ from Provincial Home Living

Artwork – By the eight-year-old occupant works perfectly in this cool green space

Paint colour – Resene Spring Green

Bathroom

Basins – Abey Australia

Taps – Abey Australia

Floor Tiles – Burleigh Tiles

Bathroom

The bathroom is a family-friendly space where Murphy the mini labradoodle is also welcome!

Paint Colour – Resene Half Truffle

Bath – Abey

Basin – Abey

Floor Tiles – Burleigh Tiles

Towel – Nikau Store

Alfresco

Lush tropical surroundings are the drawcard here, so we utilised this with the openness of the verandah.

Sofas – Sonoma Sofas from GlobeWest

Coffee Table – GlobeWest

Dining Chairs – GlobeWest

Cushion Fabrics – 3Beaches

Pizza Oven – Zesti

Bar Table – Custom made

Bar Stools – Interiors Online

Deign and Styling: Cedar and Suede

Editorial Styling: Sarah Ellison for Australian Homes and Garden

Photographer: Mindi Cooke

Carlene xx

We recently worked with Amber Tiles to share our tips on how to plan a bathroom renovation and below we’ve answered some questions about how to apply tiles to the bathroom and kitchen which you might find helpful if you’re about to embark on your own renovation/build. And in the spirit of giving, I wanted to give the opportunity to ask some more specific questions about bathroom and kitchen renovations so hit me up in the comments section below and I’ll share the answers here and on IG stories so that everyone can benefit.

Q: What makes a tile a feature tile?
A: A tile feature is a design statement piece that will often act as the hero in a space. It’s generally in contrast to the other materials used. This might be a patterned floor tile or mosaic splashback, for instance. A feature tile shouldn’t be confused with a feature wall.

Q: How do you work with the rest of the design and dimensions of the
living/kitchen area?

A: We always work up a floorplan/layout first and then make our hard surface and colour selections, fixtures and fixings. Coming up with the most effective floorplan means trouble shooting and working out what it is you need in the space before playing around with a few options. When it comes to the look and feel, I seek out a lot of inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram and Magazines to gauge what it is I’m drawn to and to help narrow down my choices.

Q: What ways can you make tiles pop?
A: You can make tiles pop via colour or if using a small tile or mosaic and by contrasting the grout to the tile, thereby highlighting the pattern. There is also a big variety of moroccan inspired printed tiles on the market which I particularly love in classic style homes. Opting for a colour is another way to create impact. There are some beautiful coloured options of tiles in store at the moment from cobalt blue to sage or emerald green and even some dusty pinks. Scrolling Pinterest is an ideal way to see how colour can be applied well (and not well, which is key).

Q: How does the size of a tile affect aesthetics?

A: We utilise small tiles to add pattern and interest to a bathroom. I especially love pattern on the floor whether it’s a herringbone mosaic, a penny round or a french laid travertine…… Larger tiles create a cleaner, more streamline look but avoid using too large tiles because you’ll end up with too many awkward cuts. I like to see a combination of large and small tiles in a space for the sake of creating interest.

Q: Should you play it safe or make a bold statement?

A: I don’t think playing it safe is very fulfilling but making a statement should also be about educated execution. You can make a statement without just by creating a functional, considered and well executed space that will stand the test of time.

Q: What do you need to consider in terms of colour, grout, texture and pattern, natural light etc?

A: Your tile should always be sampled in the space before making a final decision because  tile colours look different in different lights etc. A contrasting grout colour should only be used with small tiles like subways or mosaics where your intention is to highlight a pattern, otherwise do your best to match your grout colour to your tile colour.

Q: What kind of tile looks won’t date?

A: Natural stones such as marble, terrazzo and travertine are timeless and good quality tiles always stand the test of time, both in durability and as a look. A classic brick-laid subway tile is also a timeless choice in any context. I also think patterned Moroccan tiles laid on the floor will show longevity as a trend, whereas they may grow tiresome applied to the wall.

Q: Can you add anything else about tiles for this area that you think people should know?

A: When it comes to your floor surfaces you don’t need to limit yourself to one material. For example, you may want to define your kitchen space with a statement floor tile but use timber flooring throughout the rest of your house. There are some excellent examples of this, done well. Also, when choosing tiles think about how you live. For instance, gloss white tiles on the floor are always going to show dirt and be generally hard work so unless you love to clean opt for something that will withstand living. After all, that’s what our home is for.

Remember, this is your opportunity to ask some more specific bathroom and kitchen renovation questions so hit me up in the comments.

This post is supported by Amber Tiles.

Images by Mindi Cooke.

Carlene xx