Some call it luck, some call it a fluke, we call it serendipity. When Jen and her husband Greg pulled up across the road from a 1930’s Californian Bungalow in the central suburb of Nedlands, they thought they would take a glimpse from afar at what could potentially be a family home for Bruno the toy cavoodle (and undisputed king of the household) to rule over.
After a few failed offers on homes, and being in no rush to buy, this was more of a window shop than a reconnaissance mission for the couple. While admiring the home, the property agent happened to step out through the front door and recognise Greg from a chance meeting they had years earlier *cue major sliding doors moment*.
The owner of the home then agreed to give them a spontaneous private tour, and by that night they were submitting an offer on the home, which was quickly accepted.
“Initially we did wonder if we were making a brash mistake…but soon after covid hit and the prices of properties changed significantly”.
The houses that Jen and Greg had previously put offers on were all new, as they had always planned to purchase something that had little to no renovation works required. But you know what serendipity does to your plans? It kisses them goodbye and presents you with a new challenge. For this couple, it was a circa 1930’s home that had some previous renovations to the façade and internal layout, but still needed a whole lot of love.
This was a mission that Jen and Greg took head on, project managing the whole process with their builder, while being fuelled by coffee and baked treats from Common Bakery, and French pastries from La Galette. Anything is possible when you move to a suburb with incredible Uber Eats options. Jen and Greg did their own plan design, interior selections, and went as far as designing their own custom cabinetry for their kitchen and bathrooms (with the odd pointer from Bruno of course).
“Being first time renovators, it was such a fun but challenging experience. The best part about renovating is being able to select every element of your project, from tiles to tapware, cabinetry to hardware and flooring to skirting – it’s so much fun”.
But every fairy tale has it’s share of conflict, and for these renovators it was ensuring that they were getting the most out of the set space they were working with, while still staying within a set budget, which may or may not have included Uber Eats costs.
To achieve this meant plenty of plan variations, making sure all possible options had been considered, and choosing an option that didn’t include any plumbing changes that would blow the budget.
Once the plans were set, the fun began with the selections and styling of the home.
Jen drew inspiration from designers and fellow renovators on Instagram and combined this with her desire to maintain as many original features of the home as possible.
Keeping the high ceilings, adding ornate ceiling roses, and detailed heritage cornices and skirting boards were a few of the ways Jen managed to combine the classic design of the home with contemporary style.
“We wanted the home to feel warm and inviting, so we focused on natural light, neutral colours, and subtle brushed nickel finishes to compliment”.
Bringing this to life required hours of research and most importantly finding the right people to carry out the work on their dream project. “Make sure you get at least 2-3 different quotes for trades and suppliers…compare the type of service they are offering, time frames and quality of work to ensure you are choosing the right person for the job”. The result? A cosy space full of natural light for Bruno to bask in.
The house now offers a seamless transition from the open living area to the outdoor deck, making it the perfect space for sharing fish taco’s from Fisch on Broadway with family and friends. There are plenty of idyllic spots in the house, but few beat the sun filled bay window day bed in the bedroom. A spot for curling up with a good book and a great wine.
The home is finished with thought out décor selections from Maison Balzac, David Jones, Common Edit and the odd Kmart buy, because the only thing that beats the excitement of renovating is the thrill of bargain hunting.The furnishings are still a work in progress, with pieces being added to cart from Roxby Lane, Trit House, and En Gold. Jack from Common Edit is the newest addition to the home, and his natural beauty and versatility has seen him rise the ranks to the favourite three-legged family member.
The final plans for the bungalow house include installing a white picket fence, planting hedging, and laying fresh grass in what will become a fairy tale frontage.
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