With expansive fields and beautiful farmland surrounding it, this historic farmhouse celebrates these views with floor-to-ceiling windows from the kitchen and sitting area. Originally constructed in the late 1700’s, the main house is connected to the barn by a new addition, housing a master bedroom suite and new two-car garage with carriage doors. We kept and restored all of the home’s existing historic single-pane windows, which complement its historic character. On the exterior, a combination of shingles and clapboard siding were continued from the barn and through the new addition.

Dog Shower with subway tiles, concrete countertop, stainless steel fixtures, and slate flooring. Photographer: Rob Karosis

Bob Fortner Photography

This 1930's Barrington Hills farmhouse was in need of some TLC when it was purchased by this southern family of five who planned to make it their new home. The renovation taken on by Advance Design Studio's designer Scott Christensen and master carpenter Justin Davis included a custom porch, custom built in cabinetry in the living room and children's bedrooms, 2 children's on-suite baths, a guest powder room, a fabulous new master bath with custom closet and makeup area, a new upstairs laundry room, a workout basement, a mud room, new flooring and custom wainscot stairs with planked walls and ceilings throughout the home. The home's original mechanicals were in dire need of updating, so HVAC, plumbing and electrical were all replaced with newer materials and equipment. A dramatic change to the exterior took place with the addition of a quaint standing seam metal roofed farmhouse porch perfect for sipping lemonade on a lazy hot summer day. In addition to the changes to the home, a guest house on the property underwent a major transformation as well. Newly outfitted with updated gas and electric, a new stacking washer/dryer space was created along with an updated bath complete with a glass enclosed shower, something the bath did not previously have. A beautiful kitchenette with ample cabinetry space, refrigeration and a sink was transformed as well to provide all the comforts of home for guests visiting at the classic cottage retreat. The biggest design challenge was to keep in line with the charm the old home possessed, all the while giving the family all the convenience and efficiency of modern functioning amenities. One of the most interesting uses of material was the porcelain "wood-looking" tile used in all the baths and most of the home's common areas. All the efficiency of porcelain tile, with the nostalgic look and feel of worn and weathered hardwood floors. The home’s casual entry has an 8" rustic antique barn wood look porcelain tile in a rich brown to create a warm and welcoming first impression. Painted distressed cabinetry in muted shades of gray/green was used in the powder room to bring out the rustic feel of the space which was accentuated with wood planked walls and ceilings. Fresh white painted shaker cabinetry was used throughout the rest of the rooms, accentuated by bright chrome fixtures and muted pastel tones to create a calm and relaxing feeling throughout the home. Custom cabinetry was designed and built by Advance Design specifically for a large 70” TV in the living room, for each of the children’s bedroom’s built in storage, custom closets, and book shelves, and for a mudroom fit with custom niches for each family member by name. The ample master bath was fitted with double vanity areas in white. A generous shower with a bench features classic white subway tiles and light blue/green glass accents, as well as a large free standing soaking tub nestled under a window with double sconces to dim while relaxing in a luxurious bath. A custom classic white bookcase for plush towels greets you as you enter the sanctuary bath.

We LOVE these storage solutions done by Aristokraft Cabinets in this relaxing bathroom. #dreambathroom #whitecabinets #maxstorage

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. 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.

Tile shower

Retiled shower walls replaced shower doors, bathroom fixtures, toilet, vanity and flooring to give this farmhouse bathroom a much deserved update.

Master Bathroom with a wetroom. Double vanity with make-up counter. White marble and mosaic tile.

We transformed this 80's bathroom into a modern farmhouse bathroom! Black shower, grey chevron tile, white distressed subway tile, a fun printed grey and white floor, ship-lap, white vanity, black mirrors and lighting, and a freestanding tub to unwind in after a long day!

Whitewashed reclaimed barn wood, custom fit frameless glass shower doors, subway tile shower, and double vanities.