Houzz Tours
My Houzz: On the Flip Side
What was meant to be a 'buy, renovate, and flip' house, turned into so much more for a creative family in Melbourne
Sometimes things just don’t go to plan, but that isn’t always a bad thing. For Patrick and Danielle Willemsen, it meant they ended up with their dream family home. When the couple bought a run-down weatherboard in Melbourne’s Edithvale in 2005, their plan was to renovate it, live there for a year, then sell it for a profit before repeating the process with a new property. But they found that when the time came to sell, they had fallen in love with their four-bedroom beachside bungalow and decided to stay put.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Patrick, a builder, and Danielle Willemsen, a textile design, along with their children Ben, 6, Heidi 5, and Josh, 3
Where: Edithvale, VIC
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a study
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Patrick, a builder, and Danielle Willemsen, a textile design, along with their children Ben, 6, Heidi 5, and Josh, 3
Where: Edithvale, VIC
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a study
Partial demolition of the house commenced once the family had moved in. Within six weeks, the major structural changes had been done. This included reconfiguring the layout of the front of the house to create more bedrooms, alongside practical elements such as creating walk-in wardrobes and larger bathrooms.
The couple like to upcycle and recycle as much as possible, so Patrick built the front verandah from wood sourced from old demolished houses. He also used reclaimed wood he picked up while working on older homes around Melbourne to build a hand-pitched carport, timber handrails, fretwork, and a picket fence for the front yard.
The couple like to upcycle and recycle as much as possible, so Patrick built the front verandah from wood sourced from old demolished houses. He also used reclaimed wood he picked up while working on older homes around Melbourne to build a hand-pitched carport, timber handrails, fretwork, and a picket fence for the front yard.
In addition to their other renovations, the couple added a large open-plan living, dining and kitchen area to the back of the house, prior to moving in, and completely rewired the whole house. From this point, the home has evolved alongside their family.
For instance, Patrick and Danielle recently changed the lighting from old downlights to LED lights throughout the house. The addition of a water tank also means they use 100% tank water when it’s available, complete with its own filtration system.
Along with upcycling and recycling, the creative couple love to create their own unique pieces by hand. One item that has stayed constant throughout all the changes is the 12-seater dining table that Patrick built for their first family Christmas in the house.
For instance, Patrick and Danielle recently changed the lighting from old downlights to LED lights throughout the house. The addition of a water tank also means they use 100% tank water when it’s available, complete with its own filtration system.
Along with upcycling and recycling, the creative couple love to create their own unique pieces by hand. One item that has stayed constant throughout all the changes is the 12-seater dining table that Patrick built for their first family Christmas in the house.
The expansive kitchen, dining and living area is the hub of the home, and where the family spend most of their time together. With this in mind, the open-plan living space was recently reconfigured to create a dedicated TV area, creating a more relaxed space away from the kitchen and dining zone.
A vintage wood-burning fireplace, which was bought for $100 on eBay, sits on the opposite side of the large living space to the TV area.
“It’s a great place for us to have some quiet time while the kids watch their shows,” says Danielle. This means the family can spend their downtime together, without needing to be in one another’s pockets.
Patrick used recycled panelling to create this parquet-style wall, and oversized buttons were used as an added feature, to create a sense of fun and a point of interest.
“It’s a great place for us to have some quiet time while the kids watch their shows,” says Danielle. This means the family can spend their downtime together, without needing to be in one another’s pockets.
Patrick used recycled panelling to create this parquet-style wall, and oversized buttons were used as an added feature, to create a sense of fun and a point of interest.
The couple have a soft spot for pre-loved treasures. These upholstered armchairs, made in Melbourne in the ‘60s, sit in front of the fireplace and are the perfect place for the adults to kick back.
The gorgeous green and white chairs were about to be thrown away by some friends, but were instead acquired by the quick-thinking Patrick and Danielle in exchange for a slab of beer.
The gorgeous green and white chairs were about to be thrown away by some friends, but were instead acquired by the quick-thinking Patrick and Danielle in exchange for a slab of beer.
Danielle has a knack for spotting diamonds in the rough when it comes to secondhand finds. “I love visiting op-shops and Sunday markets for a bargain,” she says.
She often then adds her own touch to each piece, such as this cabinet bought from a secondhand store, which was given a beautiful azure finish.
She often then adds her own touch to each piece, such as this cabinet bought from a secondhand store, which was given a beautiful azure finish.
“Our home is not perfect or neat, but we like it that way,” says Danielle. “It is lived in and our friends say it has a very welcoming feel and style”.
You can clearly see the homey family-friendliness of the house, with little touches like the racetrack tape that runs the length of the hallway and into the open-plan living area. This is three-year-old Josh’s idea of heaven, as he zooms his vintage Matchbox Citroen 2CVS cars up and down the makeshift road.
You can clearly see the homey family-friendliness of the house, with little touches like the racetrack tape that runs the length of the hallway and into the open-plan living area. This is three-year-old Josh’s idea of heaven, as he zooms his vintage Matchbox Citroen 2CVS cars up and down the makeshift road.
Items beloved by adults and kids alike are proudly displayed throughout the house. This ensures every room feels like home for every member of the family, adding extra warmth and personality to each space.
While the kitchen itself is quite sleek and contemporary, Danielle’s love of colour and found objects shines through in the vintage canisters, scales, colourful tea-towels and the old-school bread bin that decorate the shelves and benchtops.
In the main bedroom, which was originally the lounge room, Patrick’s handiwork makes an appearance in the form of this reclaimed oak bed frame. Danielle says many family cuddles happen in here on a lazy Sunday morning.
Traditional Indian-style textile printing blocks share shelf space with wedding photos and family snapshots.
An old dressmaker’s dummy Danielle found in an antique store now stands in the main bedroom, serving as a quirky hanger for her scarves and necklaces .
Across the hall from Mum and Dad is Heidi’s bedroom. As the only girl in the family she enjoys her own room, complete with craft pieces created by Danielle. These handmade delights include the cute cow toy and heart-shaped cushion that grace Heidi’s white-framed bed.
Heidi’s bedroom decorations are a mix of handmade and vintage toys, and of course the classic storybook of her namesake.
The two boys share a light-filled, brightly coloured bedroom, which also sports an eclectic mix of furniture and decor elements. As the eldest of the boys, Ben gets the big bed, while Josh sleeps in the smaller one near the window.
Danielle says that her boys don’t mind sharing the space for now. As they get older though, some reconfiguring might be in order to give them each their own space.
One of the features that remained an integral part of the layout was the long hallway, which runs down the length of the house.
The main bathroom was originally a small bedroom, but was converted to better accommodate a young family in need of regular baths.
The back verandah boasts bi-fold doors, which come in handy to open the house up during the warmer months of the year.
To please three kids who love spending time outdoors, Patrick used his skilled hands to build a cubby house, which is not too dissimilar in design to their ‘grown-up house’.
“The kids love the amazing cubby house that Patrick built.” says Danielle. “It’s by far their favourite part of the home.”
“The kids love the amazing cubby house that Patrick built.” says Danielle. “It’s by far their favourite part of the home.”
TELL US
What’s your favourite part of this family’s home near the beach? Let us know in the Comments section.
My Houzz is an ongoing series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes in Australia and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more inspiring projects.
What’s your favourite part of this family’s home near the beach? Let us know in the Comments section.
My Houzz is an ongoing series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes in Australia and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more inspiring projects.
The family had become involved in the local community while living there. They had formed great friendships with their neighbours, and had grown comfortable with the laid-back beachside lifestyle.
They also found that the house had great bones to work with; all they needed to do was change the layout to accommodate their growing family.
Thanks to their professions as a builder and a textile designer, Patrick and Danielle had the knowledge and skills that made them ideally suited to undertake the renovations on their own, with minimal help from other professionals.
But even with the considerable amount of work they put into the house during the renovation, the couple made sure it retained the classic bungalow character.