HOUSE UPDATE | Small changes, big differences

Monday, February 7, 2022

When it came to house hunting, looking past overgrown gardens, questionable paint colours and granny curtains was standard practise for us.

Yep, we were after a real fixer upper.

Because getting our hands dirty, knocking out walls and completely transforming our very own space is something we've dreaming about doing for the better part of a decade.

The only problem was, our bank accounts weren't quite as ready as we were to starting ripping out kitchens and picking out pavers, so opting for small changes that make big differences has been our motto for the last 6 months.

Here's the three things that have made the biggest difference (with the before and after photos to prove it!).

1. CHANGING THE DRAPES


Nothing modernises a house like new curtains, and saying goodbye to our slightly mouldy, mismatched array of roller blinds was one of the first things we did.

We replaced the originals with sheer, linen-look curtains for aesthetics, and a roller block-out blind behind each for practicality.
The sheers have managed to soften each room effortlessly, and really give each space the calm, coastal feel we've always dreamed of.

The light peeks through beautifully, and so too do the details behind. Like the must-see original windows and the french doors we added out the back.

Tucked up under each set of dreamy, flowy curtains is a simple white roller which gives us privacy and blocks out all the light at night, so really, we get the best of both worlds!

We worked with Michelle from NCR Blinds to curate the perfect combination for us and trusted her completely with what fabrics, drop lengths and sizes would work best in our space. As two newbies with only a Pinterest board full of ideas, it was beyond incredible to have someone take us effortlessly through every step.

2. PAINTING THE WALLS

You know what makes everything look better? A fresh, delicious coat of white paint.

We painted almost everything inside our house white. The walls, the roof, the trimmings, the fireplace and even a few of the doors. Honestly, if I didn't have someone to stop me, I probably would have started painting the furniture white while we were at it.

Not only was this for visual purposes, but our house needed it. 

We had paint chipping, cracks forming and a bright red fireplace sitting on a blue wall.

So after a seriously rigorous paint job, everything looked better. The original details of the house looked fresh again and even our furniture looked better in each space.

We went for the colour Snowy Mountains Half by Dulux and put it everywhere. No accent colours, no two tone, just simple, modern and clean.

3. TIDYING THE GARDEN

When I say tidy, I mean rip out a jungle of overgrown plants, dispose of a truck full of junk and completely turf the backyard.

We're talking excavator level stuff. And hours and hours of getting our hands dirty.

The perks being that we now have ample space to utilise our backyard (hello picnics and fire pits!), we've got way more light coming into the house and you can actually see how cute our home is now that it isn't all covered up.

This transformation has definitely been the most satisfying, and by far the most difficult. But for two people who have always dreamed of having a yard to entertain in, it's been well worth it.

The yard will continue to be a big focus as we continue creating our dream home (think pavers, a permanent fire pit, BBQ area and festoon lights!) but even with just a big tidy up, we're so happy with how far its come already!


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