What's your proudest home improvement? WIN Darren Palmer's new book!
Comment below and you could WIN the new book by interior designer Darren Palmer's new book HOMESPACE! (Book available from 1 September, 2016)
What's your proudest home improvement?
If you've made some changes to your own space, making it into a home you love, which decision was the best? Extra points for photos!
We'll announce the winner in the comments on September 2!
View Terms and Conditions
Read more about the book here.
Comments (40)
bigreader
7 years ago
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Comments (129)I am getting really ambitious...going out to pick some rhubarb so I can make a strawberry rhubarb pie. The new house has a strawberry bed and today's haul was enough to add to some rhubarb. The only problem is my hubby will probably make the filling as he doesn't like to add any sugar at all...I like tart, but I think it tastes best with a small amount of sugar to bring out the flavor. He really likes to cook and I don't, although I would do more baking but as soon as I get the ingredients out and the rhubarb cut up, he'll be there to take over. Note - I am not going too crazy...the toughest thing about this crust is unrolling it from the package!...See MoreExperience with Solar Heaters?
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Comments (41)@ deanli14...the problem is that the neighbours don't want the tennis court fence as it is..more they want it lowered...thus depriving johnmcintyre of his privacy and the local Council is dictating what can and cannot be done....its not about planting for privacy...quite the reverse, the neighbours want the view! I've had an idea that might help. It is my understanding that today anyone wanting to build or alter any structure can employ a private building surveyor/inspector to approve the plans and then the final structure...and I understand that this applies everywhere in Australia. So there is a way to by-pass all the nonsense. The Council does not have to know about or approve anything. You are employing (paying) a private building surveyor/inspector to help you get what you want on your own property. I think its all got beyond a joke. Just by-pass all the red tape and the neighbours! I've extended my house to incorporate a very large semi enclosed veranda, I've had a large water tank erected on a tall stand so it gravity feeds into my house..and have erected several 3m tall greenery covered screens along my fenceline adjoining the neighbours.. for reasons of privacy.....all without the local Council even knowing about it because I employed a private building surveyor for it all from start to finish. You would be paying him to be on your side and get you what you want and he does not have to submit to Council, he is his own boss and your client. You'd need to get a draftsman to draw up the plans to start with...then it should be smooth sailing....See MoreIdeas on how to furnish with floral carpet
Comments (258)Hi Kathy, so thrilled to hear my comments got you started thinking of the big picture, it has been a pleasure working with this. When you are starting totally from scratch like this it is easy to become too close to the issues and the brain becomes overloaded so you can't see the woods for the trees. I think this is also a classic example of why I always tell people to live in a house for a year before beginning to decorate, as hard as it is to be patient and wait, you do need to get the feel for a house and relate your lifestyle to it. I do like your idea of splitting the room into two areas, the room looks big enough to give you this option, and to me intimate spaces within a room create a more welcoming and homely feel. When you have a good idea of the furniture you would like, put what you have in the room and measure anything else before you buy it, use newspaper or cardboard boxes the size of the pieces and put them around the room to ensure you are going to get the desired result. It can be so easy to over or under estimate just how much space furniture will take up. Sorry the green lounge in the study didn't work out, but glad this has helped you see options. Just my personal opinion, one of my joeys had a lovely old grandfather clock in her lounge room and while it was a beautiful piece of furniture to look at, I just found it a little on the intrusive side - with its constant chiming it just didn't make the room feel relaxing, one was just so aware of the passing of time. Of course this can be advantageous when certain rellies visit. She ended up moving hers to her entrance foyer where it was a stand out feature and the lounge room became so much more relaxing. Love to see some photos of your landscaping....See More
Vy
7 years agobigreader
7 years agoVy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
Fiona
7 years agoMy laundry/bathroom, which I have transformed from a barely functional space, the waste water used to just run under the house, to a lovely, functional space, with storage (you can never have too much storage!).
Tribbletrouble44152k7 Trek
7 years agolast modified: 7 years ago
how2girl
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoVery happy with the outcome of beach house kitchen reno - from dark, dinghy & uninspiring to work in, to light, bright & a pleasure to work in. Lots of pull out storage (no cupboards under bench, only drawers), induction cooktop, light floors (removing slate, awful job, don't do it if you can get someone else to), & lots of light through a new unfussy window.
Tribbletrouble44152k7 Trek
7 years agoVy
7 years agosuancol
7 years ago
PROlife.home.creative
7 years agoWe've had a tonne of fun renovating our recently purchased 25 year old home, entirely brick throughout makes it more challenging to remove internal walls... Surprisingly it's the demolition that I love the most! Below are some renovations that haven't needed any walls to be removed but non the less, taken from 1990 to 2016!
Moving the dining table to the sunken lounge off of the kitchen made more sense for the thoroughfare of the room, we turned it into a reading room instead and I LOVE the added bookshelf for storage.
HouzzAU thanked life.home.creativeVy
7 years ago- PRO
life.home.creative
7 years ago robsyrene
7 years agoVy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agolynnrobe
7 years agoOur amazing lounge room which we've transformed from a boring barn like room to a cosy dining space and lounge area. We hand selected the slate for the fireplace surround from a local quarry and built it ourselves, re-gyprocked over the windows, painted, installed the beautiful pendant lights, and hand made the curtains. The only professionals we used were the carpet layers.
HouzzAU thanked lynnrobe
hayley
7 years ago
I once bought one of these. I cant find it anymore but it made washing and drying shoes a much less stressful experience.HouzzAU thanked hayley
petapea
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoBuilt-in wall to wall storage in what was once a small study. Very handy when the entire apartment is only 65sqm!
HouzzAU thanked petapeaVy
7 years ago
Rachel Lim
7 years agoGayle
7 years ago
Polla Posavec
7 years agoIn renovating our kitchen our best decisions: 1. replacing cheap, space wasting cupboards with long drawers. 2. Replacing the couple of deep shelves in the walk-in pantry with many shallow shelves (can reach and see everything!) 3. Ditching the built in oven and it's ridiculously huge and space-wasting brick surround for efficient cabinetry. 4. Going totally DIY. Saved a fortune & achieved high job satisfaction. 5. Not picking a boring colour. I'm an artist, I'm not planning on resale in the near future. Wanted to live a little!
HouzzAU thanked Polla Posavec
Kellie-Anne Briggs
7 years agoMy 'big' Reno moment is about to begin! An extension to my Victorian era cottage. Not one to sit back & wait I have been preparing the original cottage in readiness for the transition. Currently a residential B&B the extension will provide me with a separate living annexe, freeing up the cottage for guests sole use. Having bespoke joinery doors installed was a real accomplishment & start for this old cottages journey into the 21st century.
HouzzAU thanked Kellie-Anne Briggsd13munday
7 years ago
PROLa Maison Jolie
7 years agoFirst of all, l love Darren Palmer's styling!
My favourite way to changing a space or reinvigorating it, is by painting the room or just an accent wall. Recently, I revamped our boring all-white guest bedroom/storage room into a playroom for our 1 year old. I painted a feature wall in a stunning blue-grey chalkboard paint (Dulux Wall Paint colour: Rainmaker), added a playful and gorgeous artwork (Crooked Houses: La Maison Jolie), couple of DIY wall hooks and also some small & cute recycled furniture to create an inspiring, creative and whimsical space. And now my little one has her own space that she absolutely loves!
PROGenus Landscape Architects
7 years agoWe gave an old dingy rumpus room a birthday. Removed an old workshop, put an opening through a feature brick wall and got ourselves a light filled pool room with 1950s diner booth and bar. My favourite spot in the house!
HouzzAU thanked Genus Landscape ArchitectsVy
7 years ago
Erryn Franks
7 years agoMy proudest moment was creating a space where my family could enjoy meals together and create memories that will last forever. This space is the focus of every event in our home.
HouzzAU thanked Erryn Frankslisajwalden
7 years ago
Glenda Spry
7 years agobigreader
7 years ago
LesleyH
7 years agoCover for our Japenese sunken bath. It was dangerous to leave it open. We needed it to fit in and soften our all concrete bathroom and adjacent open shower. A local craftsman was engaged to design it. He originally wanted stainless steel with the timber but my husband felt galvanised steel would be more in keeping.
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HouzzAU
7 years ago how2girl
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoVy
7 years ago
Angela