Inside Out - 05.2018

W

hen imagination, style and

attention to detail combine,

a successful renovation is all

but guaranteed. Sarah, a graphic

designer, and Ben, a former

carpenter who now uses his

skills in precision as a helicopter

pilot, combined their talents

to produce this stunning renovation in Melbourne’s inner east.

The existing two-bedroom home was “pretty dated and tired,

with a ’70s-style renovation that didn’t really make use of the

northern light at the rear,” says Ben, who, together with Sarah,

had recently completed another renovation just around the corner.

“It had cheap carpet and a quick paint job before the sale, but we

loved living in the area and could see its potential immediately.”

Expecting a fairly smooth renovation ride, the couple took

a month to do a mini-renovation before they moved in. “We did

the front two rooms and hallway, turning the second bedroom into

a walk-in robe and an ensuite off the master bedroom,” says Sarah.

During this time, they also came up with the master plan for

the rest of the home. “Ben can visualise spaces, and then I’ll come

up with a heap of examples from magazines, Instagram and

Pinterest to see how others have done it – and then take the

best ideas and go from there,” says Sarah. “Ben hand-drew the

plans to scale, then I put them into Illustrator, which isn’t an

architectural program at all, but it was enough for us to be able

to give our draftsperson a good guide for him to produce the

plans for council – a great way to save some money,” says Sarah.

“We knew the town planning would take a little while,

but certainly didn’t envisage a 12-month hold-up until we

could start the second stage,” she says. “We had gutted the

place and it was so cold – I used to let our dog Babe sleep

on the bed just to keep me warm!”

Once the green light was finally given, Ben took on only

occasional piloting jobs “so I could work pretty much seven

days a week on the house,” he says. His building experience and

meticulous planning meant that all the materials were ordered

and delivered on time and no further hold-ups ensued. “He was

so keen to get on with the job,” says Sarah. “If we had materials

ready but couldn’t book in a tradie, he would just do it himself.”

“I did as much as I could,” says Ben. “I prepared the slab and

got a concreter to pour and screed, then I built the frame, did

the cladding, installed the windows, did the painting, the floors

and the landscaping. We called on family, friends and good people

Inside Out / 59

INSIDE homes