Work in progress: A home renovation story - Part Three

Start from the conception of Tony and Harriet's home transformation and follow them through their renovation in progress which lead them to this stunning final result. 

As a complete makeover with several significant changes to the floor plan, this renovation turned an old home into a modern family haven. The house hadn’t seen any major renovation work for many years reckon Tony and Harriet Iro, who have been living here for 10 years with their three teenage daughters. It was high time to update not just the look and feel, but also the flow of the house. 
Having lived in their house for an extended period of time before embarking on a revamp meant that the Iros had a very clear idea of how they use their space, of the shortcomings of their current layout and of how they would like to improve it. Tony admits: “We were unsure whether to sell and move or to renovate and stay at first. But we love where we live and the kids didn’t want to move – their school is just down the road.” Improving their much-loved home meant they could tailor their home to their needs and avoid the additional costs typically associated with selling and moving. 

Planning the house renovation

The couple’s primary concerns were adding light and creating better living spaces to suit the lifestyle of their modern family. They turned to Dave Georgetti of Refresh Renovations to manage the project from the planning stages all the way through. Dave explains: “This was a big project with lots of components and many different tradesmen to manage.” Tony adds: “I couldn’t imagine doing it ourselves as there is just too much going on. We wanted to put it into someone’s hands that we trusted.” 
Planning is key, knows Dave, and the concept stage is a stage that the Refresh Renovations specialists generally spend a large proportion of time on. “Getting the concept drawings right is crucial and will help save money further down the track when changes could be costly”, says Dave. “We start by putting together a detailed client brief for the designer who responds with an initial concept drawing. I find that 3D drawings can be really helpful. From there we fine-tune the concept until we’re happy we have the best response to the brief.”

Initial ideas included the creation of two living areas, but in the end, the family opted for one large open family space that actually suits their lifestyle best – they all like to socialise and spend time together. Working through each area of the house and how you use each space helps ensure that the end product is what you expect. “You have to be sure about everything before you get started,” says Tony. 
The Iros’ renovation included two extensions and a complete change of layout to make room for a new kitchen with scullery and a new bathroom downstairs. The garage now has an internal access into the kitchen. Overall, the inside and outside of the home were given a fresh look. 

Re-roofing and a kitchen renovation

Where previously the central core of the house lacked natural light, it is now a light-filled and well thought through space. The kitchen was moved and completely redesigned with a fully-equipped scullery. It is one of the key elements of the renovation and dramatically improves the lifestyle of the family. Tony is a keen cook and the family love entertaining, so the new kitchen is an entertainment hub where much time is spent. 
Halfway through the renovation, it was discovered that the old tile roof was not going to stand the test of time, so Tony and Harriet decided to replace it with Colorsteel. This change required a new design for the roof framing and an amended building consent.   
“This home has been re-built to last, and it now offers open-plan living with improved indoor-outdoor flow,” says Dave. “Daylight streams in and huge doors connect the indoors to the garden and pool area out the back of the house. Tony and Harriet were very involved and put a lot of thought into all of their choices. Their effort and foresight really show in the end result.”

Part two of this case study featured on pages 66-69 of Issue 016 of Renovate Magazine. Renovate Magazine is an easy to use resource providing fresh inspiration and motivation at every turn of the page.

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*All information is believed to be true at time of publishing and is subject to change.
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