Refreshing a traditional Melbourne weatherboard home

When renovation specialist Paul first met with homeowner Karyn for an initial consultation, he was introduced to her beautiful yet ageing traditional weatherboard home in Melbourne. Parts of the property’s fencing were faded and deteriorated, as was the home’s weatherboard cladding. While Karyn’s kitchen design was functional, it was also in need of some minor improvements. Paul discussed Karyn’s ideas with her, and then provided her with a quote before the work began.

A new kitchen design

"Paul was very helpful in the design process of the works that needed to be undertaken, offering solutions that gave the best results for the dollars I had available", tells Karyn. “The process was great because Paul communicated when they would be here, if they were delayed and he responded quickly.”
Before Paul and his team could begin the exterior ‘refresh’, they needed to carry out some maintenance and repairs. 
“We initially had to get some of the vegetation cut back to allow for painting of the external of the house”, tells Paul. “This is all part of our professional management; to organise such activities to make the renovation process easy for the owner. We encountered a number of rotten weatherboards that we had to replace to ensure a quality lasting finish. One of the windows was also rotten beyond repair which we also replaced.”

Carrying out the house renovation

From there, Paul and his team were able to begin re-establishing the character of the home’s exterior. They replaced the original fence and gate with a traditional style timber design, which was selected with the style and age of the home in mind. The fence and house exterior were then painted - enhancing the property’s aesthetics.
“New fencing and a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference to the external look of a house”, says Paul. “New fresh paint can restore a house to looking like new, with the vibrancy of new paint. A change of colour scheme can be used to modernise a property’s appearance. Karyn was considering changing the external colour for some of the current trending greys but decided to stick with a more traditional yellow to align with the origins of the house and give it a fresh finish. The end result, combined with the update of the fence, is a very attractive weatherboard with great street appeal.”

The final results were excellent and I am very happy with the attention to detail

Kitchen renovation

Inside the house, Paul and his team made a few updates to the kitchen.
“The cabinets in the kitchen were in good condition, so we completed a refresh of the kitchen through some minor modifications to the cabinetry. We removed an older style upstand-end to the kitchen bench, which was replaced with a breakfast bar benchtop. The splashback tiles were also replaced, with subway style tiles to modernise the kitchen. To keep within the customers budget, we installed a laminate benchtop. This looks fantastic, especially with the gloss finish, and is very durable”, enthuses Paul.
Paul adds that, while many people assume kitchen benchtop replacements are simple to carry out, there are a few steps to follow if the process is going to be completed successfully:
“Firstly, on removing the benchtop, there is a high risk the splashback tiles will be damaged. Therefore, it is wise to assume they will need to be replaced at the same time. The cooktop will need to be removed and refitted and, depending on the connections, may require a licensed gas installer or electrician to support swapping it out. When the splashback tiles are removed, that is the time to add any additional power outlets if you need them.” 
Karyn was advised on this process and was able to easily request changes as the work progressed. 

Final thoughts

“The team was quick to respond to any concerns I had and to make alterations when necessary”, she confirms. “The final results were excellent and I am very happy with the attention to detail.”
According to Paul, small changes can make a big difference:
“Although the renovation work was largely cosmetic, the end result has rejuvenated the original tired house with a fresh clean new look and a few modernising features that keep within the original design and character of the house.”
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*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.