HOW LONG DID THE RENOVATION TAKE? “Two years. It began with the garden, followed by painting the
bedrooms, a new roof, new plasterwork in the living room, painting the kitchen and living areas followed by sanding the
downstairs floor and painting downstairs. We wanted to maintain a lot of the original features of the house so pieces were
updated rather than removed.” WHAT WERE THE TOP LESSONS LEARNED DURING THE RENO? 1 “Take
your time in picking quality furniture and items for your home – something that will last and not need replacing every
few years.” 2 “Where time and specialised skill is required – for roofing, plumbing, electrical – hiring a trustworthy and
recommended tradesperson/professional is best.” 3 “Keep delicate/fragile and loved items up high and out of reach of
pets and kids.” 4 “Planting mature plants works better for the long term if you have a puppy in the garden.” 5 “Peoples’
style choice can be conflicting. Start with the big items/basics and then add layers to create your ideal and practical
space.” BEST MONEY SPENT? “The Eames rocker helped me survive many late nights with a crying baby, and now
is used throughout the home by all.” BEST MONEY SAVED? “Doing the painting and general labour ourselves, and
using our own products to style the home.” BEST PIECE OF ADVICE? “Take your time in picking quality pieces for
your home – pieces that excite you, make you feel happy and ones that last and won’t be readily replaced.” RDesign lovers Alex and Dominic moved into their studio and retail space in Sydney’s Balmain in April last year. The black and white mosaic
tiles echoes the colour scheme in their own home and, once again, blends classic and modern design elements. Spin off The Spun pendant
light in the Balmain studio is one of the couple’s bestsellers. It is a piece that can be used in various combinations and different spaces.
Art hero This is a detail of the round resin abstract artwork by Astella Designs (Astelladesigns.com.au), which hangs on the living room wall.@reallivingmag
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