The renovation story
This character home on Alexandria had been largely untouched for decades. The kitchen was closed off behind a structural post, the bathrooms were dated, and the backyard was disconnected from the house with an old timber deck in poor condition.
The brief was clear: open up the kitchen, modernise all three wet areas, and create a proper outdoor entertaining space connected to the living area.
We removed the internal kitchen post to create a single open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space. The new shaker-profile kitchen wraps around three walls with a breakfast bar for casual seating. Underneath the stairs, we built a walk-through pantry with open shelving to maximise storage in a space that was previously unused.
All three wet areas were stripped back to the frame. New waterproofing was applied to every surface (shower recesses, bath surrounds, floors, and perimeter flashings) before tiling. The main bathroom features a Decina freestanding bath with a frameless screen, while the ensuite focuses on a generous walk-in shower with subway tiles and a recessed niche.
The existing timber deck was removed and replaced with a new spotted gum deck on a treated pine frame. We added an open riser staircase with steel stringers leading down to new travertine-style pavers across the entire backyard. Retractable flyscreens were added to the existing doors and windows, and the connection between living room and deck creates indoor-outdoor flow that didn’t exist before.
Inside, all timber floors were sanded back and refinished, new carpet was laid throughout the bedrooms, and the entire interior was repainted. The result is a home that feels open, connected, and thoroughly modern while retaining its original character.
