Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Smart Family Home on a Battle-Axe Block
A ceramicist and her husband unlock the hidden potential of a bland brick home in suburban Brisbane
This modern four-bedroom home, tucked away from street view on a battle-axe block, was once a boring, blonde-brick residence for nuns decorated with brown shag pile, orange tiles and fluorescent strip lighting. “It was all very retro but not in a cool way,” laughs Lisa Russell. All of the couple’s family and friends failed to see any sign of potential in the home, but despite all of this, the couple went ahead with the purchase and immediately set to work to transform it into a spacious family abode. They did this by knocking down internal walls to make open-plan living areas, completing overhauling kitchens and bathrooms with contemporary fittings and fixtures, and decorating the home with vintage finds and rustic flair.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Lisa and Sam Russell, their sons Charlie, 10, and Oscar, 9, and the family cat, Elvis
Location: Windsor, Brisbane
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a home office
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Lisa and Sam Russell, their sons Charlie, 10, and Oscar, 9, and the family cat, Elvis
Location: Windsor, Brisbane
Size: 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a home office
The existing floors and all the windows were first on the list of things to go. The couple chose hardwood doors and windows to give the home a warm, rustic and inviting atmosphere. Lisa says it immediately changed the feel of the entire house and, still to this day, is one of the first things people mention.
The chandelier in the entry is from Ikea but was too shiny and new for Lisa’s liking, so she rubbed brown boot polish over it to achieve a rusty and older appearance.
The chandelier in the entry is from Ikea but was too shiny and new for Lisa’s liking, so she rubbed brown boot polish over it to achieve a rusty and older appearance.
Lisa’s style is rustic and some of her favourite items to decorate with include antiques, discarded wood, aged brown leather, raw linen, plants and found objects such as feathers, palm fronds, birds nests and driftwood.
Finding such interesting pieces, however, can take time – Lisa keeps a scrapbook of gathered inspiration to draw from when decorating. “I like things to have a history and I have accumulated my favourite trinkets and furniture over the years. I have liked the same sorts of things all of my life. I’m a collector/hoarder and I always have been,” explains Lisa.
Finding such interesting pieces, however, can take time – Lisa keeps a scrapbook of gathered inspiration to draw from when decorating. “I like things to have a history and I have accumulated my favourite trinkets and furniture over the years. I have liked the same sorts of things all of my life. I’m a collector/hoarder and I always have been,” explains Lisa.
The couple are not big fans of ‘shiny and new’ when it comes to style and design – they much prefer things to look a bit more rustic and lived-in. Sam says he knows what he likes when he sees it, but lacks the vision to know what’s going to work before it’s in place. Fortunately for him, his clever and multi-talented wife Lisa took on the role of head designer and Sam says she has a natural ability to spot unseen beauty.
The kitchen is where the family spend a lot of time together but before renovating, it was a small, outdated space.
Now the kitchen is the hub of the home and has been expanded and modernised. Despite her love of secondhand items, Lisa does acknowledge the value of a few obligatory Ikea fittings in the kitchen. “There isn’t a better place for something that is well designed and affordable. Sometimes a little tweak is all that is needed to make one object look different to the other five million flat-packed pieces,” says Lisa.
All of the aluminium doors and windows were replaced with bespoke large hardwood merbau upgrades. Lisa sanded and stained every new merbau door and window by hand, but it was one of her least favourite jobs.
All of the aluminium doors and windows were replaced with bespoke large hardwood merbau upgrades. Lisa sanded and stained every new merbau door and window by hand, but it was one of her least favourite jobs.
The dark, country-style kitchen cabinetry comes from Ikea and is teamed with a few industrial features like the pendant lights. The solid and unique kitchen island benchtop came from an off-cut of wood that Lisa spotted on the floor of a salvaged finds supply store. It cost $100.
She paid to have it cut to equal thickness at a local timber mill, before staining and lacquering it herself. She recalls finishing the final coat of lacquer days before they celebrated Sam’s 40th birthday with family and friends. There are a few ring marks from all of the beer bottles and wine glasses that their guests had placed on the freshly lacquered surface – not that it phases Lisa, though.
This laidback attitude shines through from the moment you enter the family’s home. “I would hope that the house is welcoming and warm, natural and easy to be in,” says Lisa. “I like people to feel comfortable, as though they can put their drink down and their feet up without worrying that they are messing the place up.”
Deer antler light: Black Forest
The main bathroom is spacious, open and filled with natural light, which is quite the contrast to its original layout. Sam explains that it used to be three separate rooms, designed this way so one nun could shower while another could use the toilet and a third could take a bath.
A special and favourite feature of this space is the antique claw-foot bath. The inside of the tub has been re-enamelled, but the outside is just as it was when it was pulled out of the mud from the edge of a horse paddock at Lisa’s mum’s farm in NSW. “It was used as a trough for many years, until my mum gave it to a neighbour. When she passed away, I really regretted not taking it when she had previously offered it to us,” recalls Lisa. Upon discovering this, the neighbours who acquired the bath happily offered it back to Lisa as they knew it would have made her mum very happy.
The couple have often turned their hands to DIY when they’ve been unable to find something they like. Lisa is not a fan of sharp edges and, in her opinion, old is almost always better than new.
“I like to be resourceful and, if possible, I opt to re-use rather than mindlessly discard things,” says Lisa. The vanity in the main bathroom is a prime example, made from the parts of an old coffee table and some reclaimed timber from the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, via The Big Red Shed.
“I like to be resourceful and, if possible, I opt to re-use rather than mindlessly discard things,” says Lisa. The vanity in the main bathroom is a prime example, made from the parts of an old coffee table and some reclaimed timber from the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, via The Big Red Shed.
The taps, and their handmade set of collars, are from Heritage Bathware.
Pictured is the main bedroom.
The little Indian chairs were actually the first purchase Lisa ever made, when she was just 18. “I was driving home from college in my Datsun 120Y when I noticed these little chairs in a garage. I stopped and knocked on the door and offered the family $20 for them,” she says.
The artwork is one of Lisa’s own original paintings from a sky and cloud series she previously worked on.
The artwork is one of Lisa’s own original paintings from a sky and cloud series she previously worked on.
The bedside table is from Sri Lanka and was originally used as a school desk for young students.
The ensuite to the main bedroom was originally very small, so they knocked down the wall and took extra space from an additional bedroom next door.
The couple’s wardrobe is cleverly located behind the mirrored cabinet doors. Many people ask Lisa and Sam if their clothes get damp from being in a bathroom space, but so far it has not been an issue.
The couple’s wardrobe is cleverly located behind the mirrored cabinet doors. Many people ask Lisa and Sam if their clothes get damp from being in a bathroom space, but so far it has not been an issue.
The ensuite is as earthy and alluring as the rest of the home. The pendant light, ornate mirror and reclaimed timber vanity bring a sense of Moroccan luxury to the space, and is further enhanced by the choice of Jatana Interiors patterned floor tiles.
The walls were painted with Porter’s French wash, which Lisa recalls being very difficult to work with due to the fast-drying nature. “It definitely needs a two-person application, with no chance of stopping once you start,” explains Lisa.
The walls were painted with Porter’s French wash, which Lisa recalls being very difficult to work with due to the fast-drying nature. “It definitely needs a two-person application, with no chance of stopping once you start,” explains Lisa.
To account for a larger ensuite, the additional bedroom could no longer fit a bed, and so Lisa and Sam decided to turn it into a small home office instead.
The antique doctor’s desk is another piece that once belonged to her mum. “My mum was an avid collector of antiques and purchased this back when she was a nursing student. It still has the old typewriter beneath it,” explains Lisa.
The antique doctor’s desk is another piece that once belonged to her mum. “My mum was an avid collector of antiques and purchased this back when she was a nursing student. It still has the old typewriter beneath it,” explains Lisa.
Ten-year-old Charlie has his own bedroom, directly opposite his younger brother Oscar’s bedroom. Both of the children’s bedrooms are the same size and the layout is virtually a mirror image of one another.
Nine-year-old Oscar’s room got quite the transformation. It was previously painted in pink with shag-pile carpet.
Oscar enjoys sketching at his desk. He displays his artwork and inspiration on a cork board that is decorated with lights.
The whole family are huge fans of artist Shaun Tan, and over the years they have each been given a framed print of his creative works. Hanging above Oscar’s bed is his prized Tan print.
The laundry is generous in size and offers practical storage with a wall-length linen cupboard on the left. The couple installed new timber frame doors and a window, re-tiled the floors and added a new benchtop.
Lisa also chose to tile a small splashback behind the laundry tub with another Jantana patterned tile. It adds interest to an otherwise plain space.
The northern side of the property is a private setting and has a tranquil atmosphere. The couple worked on the garden to make it a great place for the boys to play in. This area offers another ideal entertaining space.
The in-ground swimming pool was installed by the previous owners, who originally bought the home from the nuns. This was the only addition and improvement they made to the house before selling it on to Sam and Lisa.
Sam built the deck with the help of a carpenter friend. The deck runs along the western side of the home and leads to the back of the double garage where Lisa’s studio is located.
Sam built the deck with the help of a carpenter friend. The deck runs along the western side of the home and leads to the back of the double garage where Lisa’s studio is located.
The wall that runs along the southeast side of the house provides more rustic creativity. Lisa achieved this effect by painting the wall with Porter’s rust-effect paint.
Cosy gatherings often happen around the fire pit. The couple is still deciding on a more fixed form of outdoor seating but, in the meantime, these salvaged bar stools work well.
Sam and Lisa laid the mosaic of slate pieces themselves after finding them online for a reasonable price. “We thought they were great for the price, but it was an absolute nightmare to piece together,” recalls Sam.
Sam and Lisa laid the mosaic of slate pieces themselves after finding them online for a reasonable price. “We thought they were great for the price, but it was an absolute nightmare to piece together,” recalls Sam.
Lisa has set up her studio for Luna Ceramics in the double garage and creates beautiful works of art in here. She says it is still in a transition phase and has plans to whitewash the walls and add more lighting.
To personalise the space, Lisa has added an old draughtsman desk from her teenage years, a sink area, shelving, a kiln and a pottery wheel. Having this escape in the comfort of her own home is a real treat. She can regularly be found in here on a sunny afternoon with the door rolled up so fresh air and sunlight can stream in.
Apart from the electrics, plumbing and a few tricky carpentry jobs, this dedicated couple completed this mammoth home transformation on their own. Would they do it again? Lisa firmly says no, but they’re incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved and believe they saved themselves at least $200,000 along the way.
My Houzz is an ongoing series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes in Australia and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more inspiring projects.
My Houzz is an ongoing series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes in Australia and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more inspiring projects.
Lisa and Sam had previous experience with home renovations, but this time they really went for it. Over four years, they gutted the entire house and then transformed it by themselves on a rather tight budget. The family also lived in the house during the renovations, which is something Lisa wouldn’t recommend to others.
“It was really hard work most of the time, especially towards the end, and there were certainly a few tears,” recalls Sam. However, by Easter 2015 they had finished the majority of the transformation and are now very proud of what they have achieved.