Interior Design
Decorating
Design Masterclass: A Budget-Friendly Refresh of a Small Home
See how a designer's smart use of colour and considered storage solutions transformed a drab home for AUD$50,000
With an AUD $50,000 budget and a broad brief to rejuvenate the main rooms in this weatherboard home, Candice Stroud, interior designer at Mos Interiors, focused her attention on colour, texture and introducing a few hero pieces of furniture. The result is a revived home for a family of four and a masterclass in budget-savvy design. Keen to pick up a few tricks of the trade? Read on.
Living area before works
The brief
The owners wanted a bright, modern interior with a Scandinavian feel for their recently purchased family home. With two small children, they required easy-maintenance furniture and finishes. But they also wanted the spaces to feel grown-up and worthy of dinner parties.
Looking to refresh your interior? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
The brief
The owners wanted a bright, modern interior with a Scandinavian feel for their recently purchased family home. With two small children, they required easy-maintenance furniture and finishes. But they also wanted the spaces to feel grown-up and worthy of dinner parties.
Looking to refresh your interior? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
Living area before works
The client’s must-haves
The client’s must-haves
- A comfortable, easy-care sofa.
- Built-in units for the television and study.
- New feature tiles for the kitchen splashback and island.
- A couple of investment pieces of art.
Rattan Weave floor lamp: Temple & Webster
Brief for the living area
The client wanted the adjoining living and dining areas to be complementary, with a comfortable yet elegant sofa at the heart of the living space.
They wanted the living area to feel clean, uncluttered and suitable for children.
When the children are in bed, they wanted to be able to quickly and easily hide the mess of family life.
Changes made
Everything is new – furniture, built-ins and the colour palette. We only kept the white blinds, which I softened with the addition of beautiful, white s-fold sheers.
The sheers also help control the strong westerly afternoon sun that comes into the living area.
Brief for the living area
The client wanted the adjoining living and dining areas to be complementary, with a comfortable yet elegant sofa at the heart of the living space.
They wanted the living area to feel clean, uncluttered and suitable for children.
When the children are in bed, they wanted to be able to quickly and easily hide the mess of family life.
Changes made
Everything is new – furniture, built-ins and the colour palette. We only kept the white blinds, which I softened with the addition of beautiful, white s-fold sheers.
The sheers also help control the strong westerly afternoon sun that comes into the living area.
Colour and materials palette
I chose calming tones of soft green and milky white, paired with natural timber. The owners are busy with work and young children, so I wanted this space to feel relaxing.
They and I both fell in love with the custom paint colour for the television unit and the green-blue of the large penny-round tiles in the kitchen.
Tying all of this back with warm whites and hints of bolder colours, such as moss green, peach and pink, just worked.
I chose calming tones of soft green and milky white, paired with natural timber. The owners are busy with work and young children, so I wanted this space to feel relaxing.
They and I both fell in love with the custom paint colour for the television unit and the green-blue of the large penny-round tiles in the kitchen.
Tying all of this back with warm whites and hints of bolder colours, such as moss green, peach and pink, just worked.
Wall-mounted storage: Ensemble; Olivia Chaise sofa upholstered in Warwick Fabrics Rhea Chrome fabric: Sofas Direct; Tully coffee table: GlobeWest; Himba rug, Tribe Home; joinery finished in Dulux Wilderness with the top in Polytec Tasmanian Oak
Built-in storage
The wall-mounted television unit creates useful extra storage space in the living area. While the room is a good size, it can feel a little full as it’s shared with the dining area. The wall-mounted unit also adds a bespoke feel to the room.
Built-in storage
The wall-mounted television unit creates useful extra storage space in the living area. While the room is a good size, it can feel a little full as it’s shared with the dining area. The wall-mounted unit also adds a bespoke feel to the room.
Textured touches
Edithvale is a beachside suburb, and it was important to reflect the home’s location with a few gentle coastal touches.
Pops of texture in the lighting, coffee table and bar stools add a casual feel to what are otherwise elegant pieces.
Edithvale is a beachside suburb, and it was important to reflect the home’s location with a few gentle coastal touches.
Pops of texture in the lighting, coffee table and bar stools add a casual feel to what are otherwise elegant pieces.
A sense of connection
I created a sense of cohesion in the home by ensuring that all rooms contained an element, big or small, of our main feature colour – blue-green.
I also included other linking elements throughout, such as brass handles and oak touches.
I created a sense of cohesion in the home by ensuring that all rooms contained an element, big or small, of our main feature colour – blue-green.
I also included other linking elements throughout, such as brass handles and oak touches.
Huxley Curve dining table: GlobeWest; Bella Loom dining chairs: Satara; ‘Love Tunes’ artwork by Kirsten Jackson
Brief for the dining area
A dining table large enough to fit eight people, with chairs that would tuck fully beneath it, plus gorgeous feature art.
Changes made
All new furniture and art.
Colour and materials palette
Oak, rattan and pops of soft colour through the original Kirsten Jackson painting.
Brief for the dining area
A dining table large enough to fit eight people, with chairs that would tuck fully beneath it, plus gorgeous feature art.
Changes made
All new furniture and art.
Colour and materials palette
Oak, rattan and pops of soft colour through the original Kirsten Jackson painting.
Bella Loom bar stools: Satara
Brief for the kitchen
First and foremost, the client wanted me to get rid of the kitchen’s original bright green glass splashback. They love green, but the colour was too loud, so we used this as a launch pad for a new, softer palette.
Brief for the kitchen
First and foremost, the client wanted me to get rid of the kitchen’s original bright green glass splashback. They love green, but the colour was too loud, so we used this as a launch pad for a new, softer palette.
Large Green Penny Tiles: Tiento Tiles
Changes made
I kept the original white and dark grey cabinetry and added blue-green penny-round tiles to the splashback and front of the island, plus a pair of rattan pendants overhead.
Changes made
I kept the original white and dark grey cabinetry and added blue-green penny-round tiles to the splashback and front of the island, plus a pair of rattan pendants overhead.
Tolv Farnsworth Low Shelf unit: GlobeWest; door frame painted in Porter’s Paints Hailstorm
Brief for the front entry
The original front door was fluoro yellow and the owners wanted a selection that was more in tune with the home’s coastal location, but not an exact match with the blue-green used elsewhere in the home.
Changes made
I changed the door colour to warm blue, added an oak console table for some interest and warmth (and somewhere to pop keys), plus a beautiful wall print of Wilsons Promontory, which is a couple of hours south in Victoria.
Colour and materials palette
Oak, warm blue and milky white.
Brief for the front entry
The original front door was fluoro yellow and the owners wanted a selection that was more in tune with the home’s coastal location, but not an exact match with the blue-green used elsewhere in the home.
Changes made
I changed the door colour to warm blue, added an oak console table for some interest and warmth (and somewhere to pop keys), plus a beautiful wall print of Wilsons Promontory, which is a couple of hours south in Victoria.
Colour and materials palette
Oak, warm blue and milky white.
Study before works
Brief for the study
This narrow study is used by one of the owners and it needed to be clean and uncluttered, feature generous storage and bespoke fitted joinery that tied in with the television unit.
Brief for the study
This narrow study is used by one of the owners and it needed to be clean and uncluttered, feature generous storage and bespoke fitted joinery that tied in with the television unit.
Wall-mounted desk: Ensemble; Tara Rattan cabinet; Lounge Lovers; Eames padded desk chair
Changes made
The main change is the addition of a wall-mounted desk, which I purchased from Ensemble and had customised with my choice of colour and finish.
It works well in this narrow space as it doesn’t take up a lot of room and creates height to trick the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it actually is.
Changes made
The main change is the addition of a wall-mounted desk, which I purchased from Ensemble and had customised with my choice of colour and finish.
It works well in this narrow space as it doesn’t take up a lot of room and creates height to trick the eye into thinking the space is bigger than it actually is.
Colour and materials palette
As cohesion and consistency was key for both the client and me in this project, we used the same palette as the main living area – soft green, milky whites and oak.
As cohesion and consistency was key for both the client and me in this project, we used the same palette as the main living area – soft green, milky whites and oak.
Main bedroom before works
Brief for the main bedroom
To be a comfortable retreat for the parents, with a grown-up feel.
Changes made
Everything here is new.
Brief for the main bedroom
To be a comfortable retreat for the parents, with a grown-up feel.
Changes made
Everything here is new.
Main bedroom before works
Colour and materials palette
I specified a lighter and more pared-back colour scheme for the main bedroom to give it a really serene and relaxing feel.
I specified a lighter and more pared-back colour scheme for the main bedroom to give it a really serene and relaxing feel.
Addison bedside table: Satara
Your turn
Are you impressed with this budget-savvy makeover? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more design lessons? Check out this story: A Designer’s Step-by-Step Masterclass on Mixing Colour & Pattern
Are you impressed with this budget-savvy makeover? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want more design lessons? Check out this story: A Designer’s Step-by-Step Masterclass on Mixing Colour & Pattern
Answers by Candice Stroud, interior designer at Mos Interiors
Who lives here: A couple with two toddlers
Location: Edithvale, Victoria
Rooms worked on: Open-plan kitchen/living/dining area, main bedroom, study, playroom and outdoor areas
Interior design: Candice Stroud, interior Designer at Mos Interiors
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms
Budget: $50,000
Where most of it went: On the open-plan kitchen/living/dining area