Before & After: The Radical Rethinking of a Classic Country Home
Incorporating the original garage into the new living spaces was an inspired touch when it came to reimagining this home
Georgia Madden
29 May 2021
Decorator Alenka Dirnbek and her builder husband Milan Derganc bought this country-style house on a Gold Coast acreage in Queensland to be their forever home. The first step was gutting the interior and completely redoing the layout to create the light-filled, open spaces and indoor-outdoor connection they craved. Read on to discover how they went about it.
Images by ABI Interiors
Answers by Alenka Dirnbek, interior decorator and founder of Alenka Interiors
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Who lives here: Alenka Dirnbek, her husband Milan Derganc and Alenka’s 25-year-old daughter
House size: Approximately 240 square metres
Duration: Six months for the interior works (some exterior work is still in progress)
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms before works: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a powder room and a study
Interior decorator: Alenka Dirnbek
Building designer: Bianca Gemmill at BCG Building Design for the new buildings and garage conversion. All plans designed by Dirnbek were submitted to Gemmill for drafting and to prepare for council approvals.
Builder: Milan Derganc at GC Building Solutions
Answers by Alenka Dirnbek, interior decorator and founder of Alenka Interiors
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland
Who lives here: Alenka Dirnbek, her husband Milan Derganc and Alenka’s 25-year-old daughter
House size: Approximately 240 square metres
Duration: Six months for the interior works (some exterior work is still in progress)
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms before works: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a study
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a powder room and a study
Interior decorator: Alenka Dirnbek
Building designer: Bianca Gemmill at BCG Building Design for the new buildings and garage conversion. All plans designed by Dirnbek were submitted to Gemmill for drafting and to prepare for council approvals.
Builder: Milan Derganc at GC Building Solutions
How did you use Houzz for this project?
I used Houzz ideabooks for inspiration when developing my ideas for the renovation.
Inspired to renovate your own home? Find a local interior designer on Houzz to help make it happen
I used Houzz ideabooks for inspiration when developing my ideas for the renovation.
Inspired to renovate your own home? Find a local interior designer on Houzz to help make it happen
The original floor plan
What did you want to achieve with the new works?
What did you want to achieve with the new works?
- To completely change the floor plan and create an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area towards the back of the house – all while working within the home’s existing footprint.
- Increase natural light.
- Add an extra bedroom and a bigger main bathroom.
- Create a design that embraces the original rustic character of the house, but in a modern way.
- Convert the original garage into the new living spaces, creating a bigger main bathroom, an extra bedroom and a new powder room.
The floor plan after works
What state was the house in originally?
Neglected and dated, with a rotten timber deck on the wraparound verandah, an overgrown garden, blocked pipes from the trees and a narrow driveway that only accessed the back of the house. There were also lots of overgrown trees that had become dangerous to the house.
What did you identify as the main issues when you first saw the house?
That there would be a lot of work and cost involved. The floor plan was all wrong so we knew that we’d need to knock down all the walls and start from scratch. But it didn’t scare us as we could see the home’s enormous potential.
What state was the house in originally?
Neglected and dated, with a rotten timber deck on the wraparound verandah, an overgrown garden, blocked pipes from the trees and a narrow driveway that only accessed the back of the house. There were also lots of overgrown trees that had become dangerous to the house.
What did you identify as the main issues when you first saw the house?
That there would be a lot of work and cost involved. The floor plan was all wrong so we knew that we’d need to knock down all the walls and start from scratch. But it didn’t scare us as we could see the home’s enormous potential.
The original kitchen
What were the main issues with the original kitchen?
It was a closed-off, galley-style kitchen in the wrong position.
What did you change?
Everything – we designed a new kitchen from scratch as part of a new open-plan kitchen/living/dining area.
What were the main issues with the original kitchen?
It was a closed-off, galley-style kitchen in the wrong position.
What did you change?
Everything – we designed a new kitchen from scratch as part of a new open-plan kitchen/living/dining area.
The new kitchen
What were your must-haves for the new design of the house?
What were your must-haves for the new design of the house?
- An open-plan layout.
- Lots of light.
- Openings towards the back of the house with views to the beautiful bushland outside.
- Maintain the character of this one-level home with its wrap-around verandah.
The original living area
What were the main issues with the original living room?
It was in the wrong position and simply wasn’t practical.
What did you do?
The second bedroom now occupies the spot where the original living area was. We put a spacious new living area in the new open-plan portion of the house.
Describe the colour and materials palette of the new living area
What were the main issues with the original living room?
It was in the wrong position and simply wasn’t practical.
What did you do?
The second bedroom now occupies the spot where the original living area was. We put a spacious new living area in the new open-plan portion of the house.
Describe the colour and materials palette of the new living area
- Neutral tones of white, black, brown and terracotta.
- Natural materials such as timber flooring, terrazzo, terracotta, plus zellige, bejmat and encaustic tiles.
- Leather, linen, wool, hemp, jute, natural latex – all as non-toxic as possible.
- We used timeless natural materials and colours and chose sustainable, eco-friendly materials where possible.
What exactly did you do?
We essentially created a brand-new home within the existing house.
We:
We essentially created a brand-new home within the existing house.
We:
- Knocked out all internal walls, gutted the interior and created a new floor plan with beautiful open-plan living space.
- Converted the original garage into the new living spaces, which allowed us to create a bigger main bathroom, an extra bedroom and a new powder room.
- Removed a rotten and termite-damaged deck and replaced it with concrete.
- Replaced all the windows and added two large windows and sliding doors to open up the back of the house.
- Redesigned a few windows to suit the new floor plan.
- Created a new entrance.
- Laid new flooring.
- Put in a large new septic tank, new pipes and plumbing, new electricals, and added a whole-house water-filtration system.
- The project is finished inside but we still have a lot to do on the outside.
Tell us about the sumptuous mix of textures
- We added VJ panelling to some of the walls to add texture beyond plain white walls.
- We also added stone, raw terracotta tiles, and sandstone-look brick from the exterior of the house for even more warmth and texture.
- We layered the soft furnishings – throws, rugs, cushions in different shapes and sizes – to add interest and a cosy feel.
The original entrance and hallway
What was your thinking behind the choice of colours and materials?
We wanted a timeless, modern farmhouse feel – think contemporary country.
I wanted the house to feel like a home, to be cosy and light, and to have character and soul.
Being surrounded by nature, I also wanted to bring nature into the interior through the windows and create the feel of a natural retreat.
What was your thinking behind the choice of colours and materials?
We wanted a timeless, modern farmhouse feel – think contemporary country.
I wanted the house to feel like a home, to be cosy and light, and to have character and soul.
Being surrounded by nature, I also wanted to bring nature into the interior through the windows and create the feel of a natural retreat.
The original entrance and hallway
What do you think has made the biggest difference?
The new layout and the neutral colour palette that plays with various textures.
The new layout and the neutral colour palette that plays with various textures.
The new dining area
Generous windows and sliding doors in the new open-plan kitchen/living/dining area draw the landscape into the home.
Generous windows and sliding doors in the new open-plan kitchen/living/dining area draw the landscape into the home.
The new study
A spacious new home office provides privacy and quiet when the owners are working from home.
A spacious new home office provides privacy and quiet when the owners are working from home.
The original master ensuite
The original master ensuite was located where the kitchen now stands. The new master ensuite is now located in the middle of the house.
What were the main issues with the original ensuite?
The original master ensuite was located where the kitchen now stands. The new master ensuite is now located in the middle of the house.
What were the main issues with the original ensuite?
- It was in the wrong position for the new layout.
- It had a small vanity and shower.
- There was a sliding exterior door in the shower, which had rotted from water damage.
The original master ensuite
The new master ensuite
Materials
Materials
- Preference Floors engineered oak timber flooring.
- ABI Interiors Gunmetal tapware.
- Bath tub, basins and toilets from Highgrove Bathrooms.
- Handmade tiles from National Tiles.
- Kitchen pendants from Interiors Online.
- Bathroom wall lights from eBay.
- Kitchen and bathroom joinery by Gold Coast Joinery.
- Kitchen hardware from Kethy Australia.
- Dining chairs and barstools from Apex Commercial Furniture.
- All artwork in the house by Dean Rotumah.
- Sofa from Plush.
- Living room rug from Grounded Rugs.
- Decor pieces from Uniqwa Collections.
The new master ensuite
Paint colours
Paint colours
- Dulux Snowy Mountains Half to interior walls, doors and cabinetry.
- Dulux Domino to kitchen and ensuite cabinetry.
The new main bathroom
What was this space used for?
It was previously used as a home office. When we redesigned the house, it became my daughter’s bedroom. One of the main problems with it originally was a lack of wardrobes.
It was previously used as a home office. When we redesigned the house, it became my daughter’s bedroom. One of the main problems with it originally was a lack of wardrobes.
Dirnbek’s daughter’s bedroom after works
The original master bedroom was located where the new open-plan dining room is situated
What were the main issues with the original master bedroom?
Fairly small windows and the wrong layout. The master bedroom is now located towards the middle of the house.
What were the main issues with the original master bedroom?
Fairly small windows and the wrong layout. The master bedroom is now located towards the middle of the house.
The new master bedroom
The new laundry
Your turn
What do you think of this transformation? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see more before and afters? Don’t miss this Before & After: A Dated City Terrace Made Modern & Enticing
Your turn
What do you think of this transformation? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see more before and afters? Don’t miss this Before & After: A Dated City Terrace Made Modern & Enticing
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Can you share the colour of your striking kitchen cabinet
Yup. Love it all.
Hi @frostygrrl The kitchen island is painted in Dulux Domino.