Three Birds calling

5. Invest in quality appliances – there’s no two ways about it. Tapware, sinks, and appliances are an investment in your home that will instantly enhance the look and feel. Always do your research, particularly with appliances, to make sure they meet the needs of your family. Our go-to for appliances for House 13 was Electrolux. There’s nothing worse than a dishwasher or washing machine that’s too small for your family’s needs!

6.The secret to a pristine kitchen lies in a little help behind the scenes – if you have the space, adding a butler’s pantry can be handy to prepare food without messing up your main kitchen and for storage of appliances and larger items like platters that might clutter your main kitchen. You could go all out, like Bonnie, and include an extra oven and fridge in there, which might be handy for a large family. Credit: THREE BIRDS RENOVATIONS

| Project: HOUSE 13

7.

Putting money into a kitchen will always pay off –if you can only afford to renovate one room, make it your kitchen. Create window and door openings that connect the kitchen with the outdoors and upgrade the bench tops with engineered stone.

8. Consider your non-negotiables – storage is always a biggie. You can never have enough storage, so think creatively about how to add more. For example, dead spaces, like along the side of an island bench where the stools go, is a great place for cupboards for things that don’t get used regularly. We especially love the Electrolux 501L Stainless Steel Refrigerator because it lets you customise the storage spaces for bulky or small items.

9. Identify the focal point of a room – it can be a structural element, like a picture window or fireplace, or a piece of statement furniture or artwork. Once you’ve determined that, build the rest of the room around it, starting with big-ticket items like large furniture pieces. Without homewares, trinkets, books, and candles, a room can end up looking more like a hotel than a home. But it’s best to leave these items until last, after all the major furniture and soft furnishings are in place.

11.

Avoid fads and short-lived trends – we prefer to keep our bold design choices to features that can be changed over time, like paint and furnishings.

10. There is such a thing as too much open space – Australians love openplan living. But we learned the hard way that there is such a thing as too open-plan. One of our renovations saw us having to add walls back in between exchange and settlement because buyers were concerned about noise travelling between the two open living areas. It was like residential reverse psychology – the exact thing we thought made the house more liveable had, in fact, done exactly the opposite. Not a mistake you make twice! Think about the purpose of your home, not just the look – the main objective of creating a vision board is to capture not only how you want your family home to look, but also how you want your family to feel in the home. The layout, functionality, etc. all have a massive impact on family life.

12.

HOW TO CURATE CURB APPEAL

by Katrina Chambers

There are many ways to jazz up your front entry (painting your front door pink like mine, for example!). But a simple way to increase your curb appeal that you can do right now, is grab some large pots plus a hardy outdoor plant or two, and place them by your entryway. They will instantly transform the space and create a welcoming feel for yourself and your guests. This was a no-brainer styling idea when we were on The Block.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT KATRINA HERE:

@katrinas_instagram katrinaleechambers.com

Katrina Chambers is a familiar face within the digital and social space with her highly successful blog ‘Katrina Chambers Life & Design’ talking all things home, interiors and DIY. She was also a contestant on The Block in 2011.

LILLY PILLY

or a topiary of any kind will be hardy and green all year round

CITRUS TREES

always look excellent and kumquat trees bring good wealth I am told!

STYLE

a formal entry by placing a pot either side of your door. For a casual look, place a group of pots on one side

FERNS

in planter boxes are great if you want something low either side of your door

LAVENDER

or Petunias work well for that pop of vibrant colour

A FIDDLE LEAF FIG

in a geometric pot looks striking (though, I’d personally be very careful with a fiddle outside being exposed to the elements – a faux fig might work better if you want that look)

SUCCULENTS

in bowls and stands grouped together are super low-maintenance