While there’s lots to love about Annie Portelli’s DIY-renovated home in Melbourne’s west, one of the most talked-about spaces is the kitchen.

It was also the last room that the creative director and her husband Simon Harris completed as part of their house’s four-year-long renovation — which you might recognise from the cover of The Design Files Magazine Issue 03!

Despite initial plans to give the property a swift refresh, hidden structural issues meant the renovation quickly unravelled into a major refurbishment. ‘Before we knew it, the fun parts of the renovation, like updating the kitchen, were very quickly put on the back burner,’ Annie says.

It wasn’t until they finally moved in (when Annie was 28 weeks pregnant!) that they decided it was time to tackle the kitchen.

The inspiration behind the design

The existing kitchen was basic, dated, and beige, with cream laminate bench tops, cabinetry, and tiles to match. This was a far cry from the coastal-inspired interiors Annie and Simon had introduced in their renovation, characterised by nostalgic timber-lined ceilings and soft cream walls.

‘We wanted the kitchen to hug the dining and living room, without overcrowding it,’ Annie says. ‘It is definitely the feature of the house, so we didn’t want it to feel boring and beige; it needed to have a bit of pizzazz.’

How they maximised space in the new layout

‘The kitchen was tucked away into its own closed-off room with a window… It felt cold and unwelcoming, almost like a tired, run-down community hall kitchen from the ’70s,’ Annie adds.

But one of the biggest reasons they converted the kitchen to an open-plan footprint was to create a dedicated space for the dining table. This shaped the bare bones of the layout, leaving them with enough room for a little work-from-home nook at the opposite end of the kitchen.

They initially moved in with nothing but their appliances and a temporary kitchen, which was just enough to tide them over until they could install new joinery.

The budget-friendly hack that levelled up an IKEA kitchen

As the renovation budget for the house itself had blown out, Annie was conscious about keeping the new kitchen relatively cost-effective. She reached out to Ren Studio, a local company that creates designer-quality doors, drawers and panels for IKEA flatpack kitchens.

‘We had initially planned on getting the whole kitchen made custom by a cabinet maker who warned us that it was going to be very pricey,’ she says.

‘Once we got the pricing and possibilities from Ren Studio, we were shocked at the comparison. It was at least half the cost of a completely custom fit-out.’

They opted for veneer fronts, some left natural, while others were stained in a custom deep blue shade, delineating the work-from-home corner. Working with flat pack cabinets plus custom doors also saved significantly on labour costs, as Simon was able to handle the installation himself.

Their biggest renovation regret

‘Don’t buy your appliances too early. We did this probably a year or so before we actually started working on the kitchen, thinking we were being really smart and organised,’ Annie says.

‘We came to regret this as the design of the kitchen we had initially drawn up was quite different to the one we ended up with.’

‘If we had our time again, we would have opted for a smaller cooktop and oven, to allow for more bench space across the back wall. We also ended up having to buy a different dishwasher to fit into the IKEA formation of the drawers, so that was a huge waste of money.’

Some of the best ideas evolved during the project

Luckily, they managed to get the kitchen completed quite quickly, as having a baby on the way helped them make some rapid design decisions!

Annie says one silver lining of leaving the kitchen until the end of their reno meant they got to workshop new ideas along the way, including changing their vision from terracotta tiles to the Inax Yohen Border Tiles from Artedomus.

‘We also hadn’t thought of having a kitchen island in the final design, but were using one from IKEA in our temporary setup, and grew rather attached to it,’ Annie says.

‘Once the new kitchen was in, we decided to leave it in and simply change the top to match the rest of the benches. To be honest, it is the part of the kitchen that we use most.’ 

Budget breakdown

Tiles: $850
Stainless steel ledge: $300
Cabinet fronts: $12,583
Cabinetry (carcass): $4000
Tapware: $605
Handles: $672
Fridge: $1772
Stove/oven: $3460
Rangehood: $599
Sink: $219
IKEA dishwasher: $1199
Custom cabinetry carcass: $350
Benchtops + shelves: $3500
Flower Pot lamp: $290
Matchstick blinds: $684
Kitchen island: $749
Nemo wall lamp: $424
Plumbing: $350
Custom carcass: $350
Benchtop: $250

Overall total: $33,206

Whether intentional or not, the story behind Sharon Jovicic’s dream home starts with a bit of manifestation.

‘We have lived in the area since 2010, and have always walked along this street [where our home now stands], saying this is the perfect spot,’ Sharon says.

‘Then in late 2016, the little beach shack that was on the site went up for auction, and we were able to purchase it. This started a journey, which lasted several years from conception to finalisation, with us moving into our new home at the end of 2023.’

Years of fantasising about building the perfect coastal home, enviably positioned directly across from the beach, had given Sharon a clear vision for the design.

Naturally, the incredible location was a driving force, but both Sharon and her designers, More Atelier, were determined to move away from the predictable coastal aesthetic in favour of a more modern Mediterranean vibe, taking inspiration from the family’s holidays to Italy and Greece.

‘The main thing we wanted to emulate was the feeling of warmth, and also their material: stone, timber, wrought iron,’ she says.

‘[These] are things that have and will stand the test of time, and will wear well with age, just as they have in European homes for many, many years.’

Eschewing overtly light-and-bright interiors or kitschy seaside motifs, the house reveals a deliberately layered and textural palette.

Blonde timber parquetry floors feature throughout; Venetian plaster walls are rendered in a warm cream shade. An incredible marble island bench crafted from Calacatta Viola is the hero of the calming kitchen, while custom-made timber joinery and a plush velvet sofa introduce a slight modernist edge in the living areas.

A wrought-iron staircase connects each of the levels, with the main gathering spaces upstairs, connecting to an elevated deck that makes the most of the incredible ocean views.

‘It’s very special in the morning with the sun coming up, and also hearing the surf at night when you are falling asleep,’ Sharon adds.

Her artist daughter Madeline (who we recently featured here), was a source of encouragement for some of the more unexpected moments in the interiors — including the colourful tiles in the en suite bathroom.

‘In some of the other bathrooms, we had more of a spa-vibe with travertine and natural colours; however, I wanted to have something completely different for the en suite,’ she says.

‘I loved the green tiles, which is my favourite colour, and then Madeline suggested the terracotta — it really popped, and it was something I had not even thought of combining.’

There’s also a playful pink marble bar, which is a homage to a similar version More Atelier had created in Newcastle’s Asian fusion restaurant Light Years: ‘We have named the bar Bar Rosa, and it is definitely a favourite hangout for everyone.’

It’s the perfect backdrop for a cocktail, before or after a dip in the ocean!

Tali Roth, the founder and creative director of Studio Tali Roth, is intimately familiar with the charms of Milan’s rich architectural history.

When the owners of this Princes Hill home wanted to ‘flex their creative muscles’ to create a Milanese-inspired abode — and recreate the feeling of visiting the city — Tali knew it was an opportunity to showcase her love for the style.

‘The part of Milanese modernism we love is rich and deep colours layered onto old and imperfect walls. Mixing clean lines with historical profiles… It’s all the things we love about these homes,’ she says.

So, Milanese Pied-à-Terre was born: a colour-drenched, texturally rich home brimming with Italian character.

‘We love having a fairly blank canvas to work from, and we love smaller homes as we feel like we can be so adventurous,’ she says.

The previously renovated kitchen was left untouched, while paint was added to the home’s retained Victorian heritage detailing and structure. Any new additions seamlessly sit alongside the abode’s historic features.

Tali made an effort to establish this rich dialogue between the home’s Victorian origins and distinctly Milanese-inspired interiors as soon as you walk through the door.

The existing architraves in the entryway were removed, and the openings were reclad in Arabescato Rosso marble. Its deep red veining and painterly quality reminds the owners of the tiling and hard-finished entryways they loved in Milan.

‘It brings a sense of richness and drama to the interiors while reinforcing the Milanese influence that runs through the home,’ Tali explains.

The new tiled entry floor was also inspired by Villa Borsani, setting the tone for the rest of the home’s Italian design.

‘We built on the home’s existing quirks and character, layering the spaces with expressive materials, furniture, objects and art,’ she says.

Tali considered the pokey nature of the rooms so the arrangement of vintage and new furniture doesn’t feel cluttered, but rather intimate and layered alongside the homeowners’ eccentric art collection.

The most eye-catching part of this project is its colour. Following a restrained palette of Milanese-inspired shades, each room reveals a different hue, while still being connected by the dominant use of pale pinks and rich greens layered throughout the home.

Colour is then used to frame the master bedroom with a thick border. Cornices and skirtings are painted a contrasting dark grey to its bold green walls — a shade the homeowners were initially unsure of.

‘She now says it’s her favourite room in the house, which is really lovely to hear and makes those bolder design decisions feel all the more rewarding,’ says Tali.

The thoughtful selection of these rich shades and textures make this Princes Hill home the perfect homage to Italian architecture.

This narrow, three-level Victorian terrace in Paddington was in good shape, thanks to a renovation completed more than 15 years ago. But while the bones were sound, the finishes and fittings didn’t reflect the taste of its current owners. Nor was it practical for everyday use.

The entry wore too many hats: storage, study, and display, while the flat-pack gallery kitchen had an awkwardly placed cooktop and rangehood in the island, which blocked sightlines and limited conversation flow. Not to mention the cramped upstairs dressing room, and lack of storage in the en suite.

‘There was plenty worth keeping, starting with the original blackbutt floors, the iron lace on the facade and a fireplace in the front room that had been boarded up for years,’ says Convict Interiors founder and creative director Sam Eggleton.

Sam’s approach for the renovation started by looking closely at the owners’ lifestyles. Both owners work from home, enjoy cooking daily, entertain friends fortnightly, and travel most weekends.

‘The front room had a long job description: office; mudroom for dog leads, hiking packs and snorkelling gear; and somewhere to greet people,’ Sam explains.

‘Everything we changed traces back to how they live… The whole house had to be easy to clean and easy to lock up before a trip.’

He elevated the abode to suit these needs, removing the entry partition to create a second living area with a hero fireplace, adding custom storage to the office, and installing automatic blinds in the bedroom.

For the owners, the kitchen is very much the heart of the home. Reworking the layout into an L-shape shifted the cooking zone off the island bench, while a new marble benchtop provided a practical, hard-working surface for everyday meals and cooking.

‘They call their taste functional modernism, with a Japanese and Scandinavian lean… They love primary colours too, as long as each one lands in the right place,’ explains Sam.

‘We took that as a set of rules. Every piece had to earn its place, and materials had to be natural, in medium to light tones.’

Across the home’s three levels, each space has its own role. The ground floor brings together cooking, dining and living, the upper level is home to the primary suite, and the loft provides a dedicated workspace.

‘The house now runs around their week, with a place for each of them to work and a kitchen built for daily cooking,’ he says.

‘The dining zone has already hosted 17 people for dinner without a pinch point.’

In line with their love of travelling, the owners were overseas for most of the build, and came home to a finished, clean house with all furniture installed and a custom-made scent in the air.

‘What I’m proudest of is the handover… All they had to do was unpack,’ says Sam.

It’s only natural for a home that once served the needs of a young family to need some minor updates two decades later.

This challenge presented itself in interior designer and stylist Marcia Hong’s renovation of a double-fronted Victorian home in Yarraville.

‘The owners, Nick and Grace Fitzsimmons, purchased the house in 2006, when [their daughter] Emma was just one,’ Marcia says.

‘What began as a family home became the backdrop to their children growing up, and they always imagined staying for the long term. The renovation was ultimately about allowing the house to evolve with them rather than moving on from it.’

The layout of the home worked against the family’s lifestyle — living spaces were cramped and the second bathroom had a small footprint.

Marcia’s design focused on functionality; she never tried to create a new house, rather choosing to carefully unlock the potential of the home the owners already loved.

‘The brief was ultimately about balance: practical enough for everyday family life, sophisticated enough to feel special, and layered enough to develop character over time,’ she says.

The facade and front rooms of the home was retained, to respect its heritage street presence, whilst the rear of the home was updated substantially to create a generous and welcoming light-filled home.

‘During the concept stage, Grace shared a series of inspiration images, many of which featured bold colour. I remember thinking immediately: She’s speaking my language.’

The kitchen was opened to centre the island, which is paired alongside bold mint green joinery. After all, a kitchen isn’t just for cooking, but a place of connection.

‘The curved island became more than a functional work surface. With the dancing pendant positioned above it, it creates a natural gathering point — somewhere to prepare food, sit, talk, entertain, and simply be together,’ Marcia explains.

The kitchen feels contemporary but not overly styled, and prioritises function over form, with an added generous butler’s pantry offering ample storage.

Instead of being inhibited by the site’s heritage location and creating a period-appropriate interior, Marcia used the existing features to design thoughtful, contemporary, and functional design moments.

The home’s original Victorian soul was enhanced through the reworked bathroom.

Separating the existing joint bathroom and laundry allowed the designers to make the most of the bathroom’s heritage features, such as the existing leadlight windows, which became the hero of the space, and the generous ceiling height. The grand nature of the bathroom is also aided by the larger-format Japanese textured tiles.

‘I think one of the most rewarding aspects of this project is that it isn’t really about a house being transformed into something completely different. It is about a much-loved home entering its next chapter,’ Marcia says.

‘For me, this is what good residential design should do. It shouldn’t simply make a house look beautiful. It should make the life happening inside it feel better.’

Sometimes we want — or perhaps, need — to surround ourselves with beauty.

Think of a home that is unashamed to be soft and pretty. Draping fabrics, soft colours, and even flowers create an environment that feels gorgeous, peaceful, and light. It’s not frivolous; it’s essential.

Bring back a bit of romance I say, and I don’t think I’m alone on this either. Times are weird, and perhaps in response, a bit of romance is the perfect escape.

When a home is nurturing, it can be wildly fulfilling. But I never recognised this until later in life, because I grew up in a home filled with blinds with frilled edges and tassels hanging from every door handle or knob. It wasn’t until I became an interior designer that I understood just how powerful these details can be.

If you want to feel comforted in your home, it’s unlikely that grey carpet, grey sofas and grey walls everywhere is going to give you that. So thank goodness the cold grey minimalist era is over, and we are swinging back around to warmth and softness!

Here’s my advice for how to be more romantic in your home.

Decorating

The ‘new romantic’ interior is all about subtle, joyful flourishes. A ruffle on a pillow, a skirt on a sofa. The look is pretty with a hint of nostalgia, yet pared back and easy on the eye.

Styling should be personal and even a little bit sentimental; no need to hide your meaningful pieces away. The kitchen can have artwork and lovely kitchenware such as copper pots on display, and look for little details like colourful towels to add flair in the bathroom.

It’s worth taking a moment each day to make your bed look and feel beautiful. A heavy linen coverlet that kisses the floor, or a fresh white waffle quilt cover with a special cushion just because it’s beautiful. All roller blinds should be banished from the bedrooms in favour of soft, floating fabric curtains or loose Roman blinds that invite a feeling of layered softness into the space.

Colour

Colours should be muted and on the warm side: pastel pinks, soft greens, and neutrals with a creamy undertone. Avoid bright whites or stark black. A harmonious room has low-contrast, tonal colours, which means colours that are next to each other on the colour wheel. They relate together, and aren’t jarring.

Furniture

There’s a touch of nostalgia, but it’s not retro. More like elegant antiques with patina placed on checkerboard floors, and the occasional Murano glass chandelier. We skip the clean lines of mid-century modern to enjoy some embellishment, like a scalloped edge or curved wrought iron. Upholstery is soft, and we see sofas with a skirt detail or ruched fabric.

Every room needs something shiny to catch the eye. Adding a mirror or stainless steel furniture piece adds an edge to this romantic look, which stops it looking like grandma’s house, no offence to grandmas.

Lighting

When it comes to lighting, we can really indulge in something absolutely beautiful. Look for pendant lights made from vintage Murano glass, or wall lights and decorative sconces. Place portable lamps on kitchen benches, bathroom vanities, and the coffee table — pretty much everywhere. Floor lamps are oversized for a sense of whimsy. You can even throw in a floral pattern too!

After two decades in her single-brick Victorian home in Fitzroy North, art curator Bernie Alibrando was ready to give it a thoughtful refresh, setting it up for the next twenty years.

It took just five months for Cantilever Interiors to revamp the home — from concept to completion — injecting it with contrasting texture and colour.

‘Bernie’s brief included minimal site intervention with little disruption made to the existing service pathways, captured in her concrete floor,’ says Kylie Forbes, creative director for Cantilever Interiors.

Bernie’s extensive travels to Japan and the Mediterranean became the main inspiration for the renovation.

‘Both cultures influenced her appreciation of form, colour and presence,’ Kylie explains.

‘In practice, Bernie takes great care of her home and belongings, with each drawer, surface and material meticulously appreciated. Designing with a view of needing “only the essential”, Bernie shared a great appreciation of design for longevity.’

The colours chosen for each room were carefully selected to tell a story of contrast as one moves through the home.

A sweet apricot fills the terrazzo-tiled bathroom while the bedroom adopts a warm, honey yellow. The kitchen — the centre of the renovation — features cooler tones that ground the space, while dark green marmoleum complements the resin flooring.

Rearranging the layout of the kitchen around the concrete floor and the existing green resin coat proved to be the most difficult part of this project.

‘In the previous design, the sink sat adjacent to the window. The windowsill was low, conflicting with the relationship between it and the bench height, blocking light and making it difficult to open the window,’ explains Kylie.

This, combined with the awkward positioning of the bulky fridge, meant a thoughtful design was required to optimise functionality.

In response, Cantilever Interiors moved the sink to the back wall and installed a lower, terrazzo-tiled benchtop under the fluted window — an ideal spot for Bernie to sit and prepare food. They also added a tall block of joinery, which doubles as a living room bookcase and cleverly conceals the fridge.

‘[The integrated fridge joinery] maximises its functionality on three sides, shielding elements of the kitchen from view, creating a sense of intrigue as you walk in the door, with light wrapping in the surround,’ explains Kylie.

This refurbishment has given Bernie’s home splashes of warm colour and a functional kitchen to take her through the next twenty years.

For garden designer Tim Pilgrim, the biggest thing standing between you and your dream garden is simple: analysis paralysis.

‘Some people can be so terrified to make the wrong moves that they don’t get started at all,’ he says.

To help you actually make some progress in your backyard, courtyard, or balcony this spring, we asked Tim for his advice on designing your outdoor space, tips for picking the right plants, and more, so you can create an outdoor space that will thrive in the years to come.

Be realistic about what you can achieve

For Tim, every project starts with the client brief. Even if you are designing the garden for yourself, it’s important to consider your goals and be realistic about how you’ll make it happen: ‘We always ask, who is going to look after this garden, and how much time are they willing to put into the care and management of it?’

‘We don’t want to design a composition that needs too much intervention if they can’t maintain it because the garden won’t succeed, but if they are keen gardeners, or willing to hire a good gardener, we can have a bit more fun with the planting,’ Tim says.

Create a clear (and practical) layout

Then, it’s a matter of deciding on the layout, including the key ‘zones’ you want to shape the landscaping around. For example, do you want a fire pit, or an outdoor dining area? Are there any messy, utilitarian spaces like a vegetable garden or a shed you want to screen off?

‘It might be a place with a good view, or where the light is just right in the afternoon or a sunny spot in the morning for a cup of coffee,’ Tim says.

‘Once you have identified these zones, link them together with paths, making sure there is good flow between them, and fill the rest with plants.’

How to select the right plants

Tim suggests starting with the plants you are familiar with, and then any new species you are drawn to. A local nursery will be able to give you personalised guidance on the best Indigenous plants that will work for the climate, which are often also relatively low maintenance.

‘The plants you know will be the safe start you need before pairing them with the pretty plants you see growing in other gardens, or in pots in nurseries. These plants need to suit similar growing conditions to the plant you know,’ Tim says.

‘Contrast in colour, shape and timing will be important here. When in doubt, start with one plant, and if it works for a season, double down and buy or propagate more.’

Going for a walk around your neighbourhood is also a good place to find inspiration: ‘What you see growing in the front gardens of your neighbours will likely work in yours. Make note and take pics of the ones you like and build from there.’

The best varieties for beginners

If you’re just getting into gardening for the first time, perennials and annual varieties are a great place to start.

‘Seed for annuals is cheap, and they grow fast; they can be great placeholders in the gaps in your garden while you wait for other plants to be established,’ he adds.

‘Perennials are good for the impatient gardener who wants to see results fast. A lot of common herbaceous perennials are easy to propagate by root cutting over winter as well if you want more of the same.’

Mistakes to avoid

Whether your garden is big or small, Tim says you want to ensure the planting palette feels cohesive. Don’t overcomplicate your design with 10 different materials and too many different plants with no connection in colour, shape, or species.

Another big mistake is just planning one of everything: ‘It’s much better to repeat plants, working off a rhythm to a planting by using more of the same and pairing back the amount of different species. Once you have this established, a bit of this and that everywhere scattered throughout works, as you have a solid backbone holding it all together.’

Water frequently, then let nature do its thing

When establishing a new garden, regular watering is important for the first 18 months or so to help protect your investment and give plants the best chance of settling in. But, according to Tim, the ultimate goal is to choose plants suited to their location, so they can eventually thrive on rainfall alone.

‘At home, I water each plant by hand for 20 seconds and usually never again! But you don’t have to be that militant: the aim is occasional deep watering. This helps a plant take its roots deep, rather than constant short watering that promotes shallow feeder roots, and therefore weaker plants.’

Don’t be afraid to experiment, fail, and try again

Tim says trial and error is a big part of gardening. Start small by planting in a small patch or even in a few pots where you can experiment before committing to a full garden bed.

‘You can learn an incredible amount over a single season in a small plot that’s easy to observe and manage, and it really takes the pressure off a nervous gardener,’ he adds.

‘Just have a go. The worst thing that can happen is a plant doesn’t make it, and you can always try again next spring!’

When interior stylist and illustrator Kelly Thompson arrived at the viewing of this 1940s California bungalow in Heidelberg Heights, she was the only person there. But where others saw a house in need of attention, Kelly saw potential — and a canvas ready for colour.

‘The house was completely whitewashed and boring,’ she says. ‘I loved some of the old features like the stained glass windows and ceiling roses in the original part of the house… The bones were nice and it wasn’t anything a bit of paint couldn’t fix!’

Armed with her instinct for colour and an eye for detail, Kelly set about slowly breathing new life into the renovated weatherboard. Original art deco ceilings, Baltic pine floors and a dreamy bay window provided the foundations for a home that now feels both characterful and considered.

‘Much love has been put into the home,’ she says.

The transformation began with paint. Soft shades of blue now flow throughout much of the interior, creating a sense of calm and continuity, while carefully chosen accents of ochre bring warmth to the office and spare room. Kelly also introduced new joinery, added carpet to the bedrooms and office, and installed a mirrored wall in the main bedroom.

‘The house unintentionally became quite blue; once I painted the hallway, I found the soft blues so relaxing they ended up unfolding into other rooms in various tones,’ she says.

‘I had fun adding some ochre tones in the office and spare room, and find the overall addition of colour throughout the house to have made it so much more cosy!’

Beyond the interiors, the garden was another opportunity for Kelly to make her mark.

‘I like having plenty of greenery around me and not sitting in my neighbour’s back pocket,’ she says.

The covered alfresco deck has become a natural gathering place for family and friends on warm evenings, framed by gardens Kelly has landscaped herself.

‘The backyard had layers of old concrete that was hiding layers of old bricks, and the front yard was covered in gravel with so many layers of plastic underneath. I decided to remove it all and start over, which involved a bit of prep,’ she says.

The home has been an ever-evolving labour of love: ‘I’ve chipped away a lot over time; the main change is that it’s all colourful now instead of white, and it has a lush garden instead of concrete and weeds!’

Still, having brought so much character and life to the property, she’s excited to see someone else make it their own.

390 Waterdale Road, Heidelberg Heights, VIC, 3081, is listed for sale with Nelson Alexander Ivanhoe.

An early-2000s rear extension connected this South Yarra weatherboard cottage to its vine-covered courtyard. From the outside, there seemed to be no need for a renovation.

But a closer look inside revealed lacklustre plain white joinery and cabinetry — a far cry from the romantic cottage style interior envisioned by homeowner and artist Chantel de Latour, her partner Nick and young daughter Cressida.

Determined to inject some colour into their home, the family enlisted Anouska Milstein, founder and director of Studio A.mi, to bring it to life.

‘The existing bedroom joinery, kitchen and bathroom/laundry left a lot to be desired; it was your classic cheap white-faced cabinetry with white composite stone benches, stainless steel handles… you know it, you’ve seen it hundreds of times,’ explains Anouska.

‘So all of that felt “fine” but also completely devoid of personality and charm.’

The homeowners’ colourful and eclectic brief centred on maintaining a cottage aesthetic while still giving the home a contemporary feel.

‘We wanted there to be a softness and fun to it all… but it was also important that the clients wouldn’t feel they’d outgrown it in a few years — the playfulness still had to feel mature,’ she says.

‘For cost-saving purposes, we knew we wanted to keep things where they were on the most part,’ explains Anouska.

The kitchen was transformed from a single-wall layout with an island bench into a U-shaped design, enveloped in butter yellow and textural natural stone — colours inspired by Chantal’s art practice.

‘I love the way the kitchen feels like a gorgeous vignette, like it could be a painting,’ Anouska says.

‘We knew we wanted to use a striking natural stone from the beginning, and the one we first selected became unavailable everywhere right when we needed it — a classic tale in a design process. But we found a stunning substitute, which worked so beautifully with the yellow and blues.’

Traditional cottage features are scattered through the kitchen; heritage-style tapware, shaker-style joinery, and an under-bench curtain all pay homage to the original weatherboard home.

To maximise space, the previously small laundry and bathroom were joined to create one luxurious bathroom-laundry with an added bathtub. The homeowners were set on lining the walls with dark green glazed tiles, which Anouska balanced with pale green hues.

‘Following completion, [the homeowners] kindly invited me, my former staff member, who’d worked on it with me, and the builder over for a very long lunch that went well into the night,’ Anouska says.

‘That was just brilliant because we got to experience it ourselves and see their enjoyment of it first-hand.’