Houzz Tours
My Houzz: An Eclectic Home Filled With Light and Birdsong
The changing needs and tastes of a Toowoomba family called for a new home and renovation
While Tonita Coppard and her family had always lived in old Queenslanders, with time she noticed that her young family’s needs and tastes were changing. “I longed for more of an open plan and found myself ogling at the ‘Modern Classics’ in every furniture magazine I could find,” she says. An experienced hairdresser of 30 years, Coppard says she prefers to work with an existing structure to improve – much like hairdressing. “I’d see homes that I’d either walk or drive by and know exactly what was wrong with them and what could be done to make them look better.”
When it came to creating the right home for their family, Coppard and her partner were sure they didn’t want to expose themselves to the ‘torture’ of building, and would rather renovate when the right house came along. Which it did, in 2004 – a flat roof, late 1960s house, unspoilt since the day it had been built.
When it came to creating the right home for their family, Coppard and her partner were sure they didn’t want to expose themselves to the ‘torture’ of building, and would rather renovate when the right house came along. Which it did, in 2004 – a flat roof, late 1960s house, unspoilt since the day it had been built.
The home was originally built by a retired farmer who wanted a low-maintenance home. “It even came with stainless steel gutters,” says Coppard. When they first went to look at it, they just knew it was right for them – even with its plush carpet, flocked wallpaper, pelmets, sand pink toilets and bath. The rooms were also a great size, with generous amounts of light and built-in wardrobes, which is something the Queenslander homes always lacked. There was even the added bonus of a large storage space below that could potentially become a workshop or office.
The transformation of the exterior alone is impressive, and shows off Coppard’s eye for design and colour. The striking and unique home now stands out for good reasons, on a street of mostly renovated timber homes, which are synonymous with the large regional town of Toowoomba.
The transformation of the exterior alone is impressive, and shows off Coppard’s eye for design and colour. The striking and unique home now stands out for good reasons, on a street of mostly renovated timber homes, which are synonymous with the large regional town of Toowoomba.
The home feels somewhat like a well curated gallery space, with hanging artwork, collected treasures and other bits and bobs adorning the walls and corners.
The stair facings, which have been covered with old book spines and rules, are a particularly creative feature. Coppard had a large collection of older hardcover books, encyclopaedias and rulers, which she had planned to cover a wall with. While she didn’t have enough to complete a wall, she had the unique idea of using them on the stairs instead.
Natural light streams into the home and is felt from the entry and staircase at the front of the home, which also takes in a leafy street view.
Coppard describes her decorating style as eclectic, noting: “I think this might be the case whenever someone is restricted to a budget – which most people would find they are.” She feels that this style allows her to be more creative with her ideas and how and where she spends her money.
Because the family set out to live in the home before deciding on a final floor plan, they were able to get to know the spaces. They did still manage to pull up carpets, lino and remove the wallpaper and curtains. “I remember when the boys were small, I’d turn the clocks forward so that I could fast track them to bed at night, so that I could settle into a night of removing wallpaper,” laughs Coppard.
Previously, the lighting in lounge room was quite nondescript. She’d always loved a New Zealand light designer by the name of David Trubridge. “This light was definitely a splurge, it cost us $2500, 10 years ago. It gives a sense of grounding to the room, and ties in the dark tonal values of the floors with the textures of the room,” says Coppard.
There’s something interesting to take in on every wall in the home, whether it be a picturesque view or a creative wallhanging. These vintage wooden trays were originally used for a letter press. Coppard transformed them into assembled artworks, which are reminiscent of the creations of artist Joseph Cornell. They each feature scrabble letters, old photographs, seashells and actual printing blocks from her father’s old menswear business ‘Coppard Menswear’ – which she fatefully managed to purchase from a Brisbane store called ‘Grand Ideas’ that her friend worked at. “My girlfriend called me the day the stamps came in. He used them to print his business cards,” says Coppard.
The warmer months are definitely a favourite time of year for the Coppard family. They often open up the bi-fold doors and louver windows at the front to get a lovely cross breeze. “When we sit in our lounge and look out at the view we are always amazed that we are as high up as we are. I feel like we are surrounded by so many trees. The house is full of light, sun and the sound of birds,” says Coppard.
Coppard truly enjoys looking at a space to work out what it needs, and says she purely takes note of what feels right to the eye. She felt the lounge room needed a strong feature somewhere to help balance the black Le Corbusier lounge they originally had. This black chair pictured is a Mies Van de Rohe.
She added a large black mixed media canvas to the opposite wall (directly facing the bi-fold windows) that she had created herself, and then added soft furnishings to tie in the mix of colours.
She added a large black mixed media canvas to the opposite wall (directly facing the bi-fold windows) that she had created herself, and then added soft furnishings to tie in the mix of colours.
This black and white diptych artwork provides a little nod to the adjacent wall with the large black canvas and also adds an extra texture to the stone feature wall.
One of the biggest disappointments for Coppard during the renovation was the bi-fold windows at the front of the lounge room. “When they arrived, we noticed they were powder coated, when all of the other doors and windows were aluminium. This was something that the company had quoted for, but forgot to bring to our attention. It was too late and would have been too expensive to simply replace,” recalls Coppard.
A major feature of the original home that gave it that true 1960s feel, was that most of the rooms (such as the lounge and dining) had doors you could close off in winter. All of these doors were removed and the openings to each space heightened and widened.
A major feature of the original home that gave it that true 1960s feel, was that most of the rooms (such as the lounge and dining) had doors you could close off in winter. All of these doors were removed and the openings to each space heightened and widened.
The dining room is easily defined without being completely enclosed. The stone feature wall is also able to be enjoyed from both sides.
Coppard explains the laundry was as big as the kitchen. So when soaking and laundering isn’t going to be a big part of your life, this was simply a waste of space. They decided straight away that this space would be designated to the kitchen space.
They knocked out the walls between, which also removed the joining hallway to the back door, allowing them to get a better feel and view of this new space. The laundry is now discretely located in the cupboards along the opposite wall which faces the kitchen.
They hired the services of RW Joiners for the kitchen, who Coppard found to be particularly good. “One of my pet hates was the common desire to include an enormous oven. it’s the first thing you see when you walk into a lot of new kitchens. My oven was definitely going to be hidden!” she says.
Coppard came up with the idea of a sliding door to conceal the oven and the joiners solved the mechanism and proportional problems. The door is also helpful when entertaining, as Coppard says the cooking mess can then be shut away behind the closed door, in front of the cooking area and oven. Neat and practical.
Coppard came up with the idea of a sliding door to conceal the oven and the joiners solved the mechanism and proportional problems. The door is also helpful when entertaining, as Coppard says the cooking mess can then be shut away behind the closed door, in front of the cooking area and oven. Neat and practical.
For the kitchen surfaces, the joiners introduced her to a product called Marblo. It is a resin that can withstand quite a bit of heat, but not heat straight from the oven. It is also is very durable if scratched, as it can be buffed simply with cloth, plus it has no joins. Coppard explains it comes in an array of colours, even patterned. They also added lights under the bench which illuminates it beautifully at night, which is great when entertaining.
The entire back wall of the kitchen and original laundry is now open and leads to the back yard.
The entire back wall of the kitchen and original laundry is now open and leads to the back yard.
Opening up the back wall that divided the kitchen from the backyard was an advantageous decision. Not only were they allowing more light and air into their home, they also gained a whole new space to dine and entertain. All of the perks of outdoor living without the hassle of travelling and setting up!
The pair wanted a large deck that was part of the house and one that you didn’t have to step or trip over a large door jam to get to.
As it was not the kind of deck that typically would extend off of a home, Coppard says that it was really important to find the right builder. They needed someone that could understand their vision and know how to solve a few design problems and get the job done. They found the right man for the job, with local builder Ross Bielefeld.
As it was not the kind of deck that typically would extend off of a home, Coppard says that it was really important to find the right builder. They needed someone that could understand their vision and know how to solve a few design problems and get the job done. They found the right man for the job, with local builder Ross Bielefeld.
The backyard is very low maintenance and adaptable to the needs of this family. It’s also private, well shaded in the afternoon and always provides the perfect space for a cricket pitch for sons Will and Ned.
This family of four have always treated their home as a place to enjoy and ‘live’ in. “We never treated it with ‘kid gloves’. Shoes stay on, our kids entertain their friends with food in hands and run from the backyard through the house and into their rooms. Nothing is put up high, it is just part of the surrounds. Our house is definitely a home,” Coppard says.
Ned and Will’s bedrooms are located at the back of the home and take in views of the green backyard.
Coppard painted the house herself over many ‘days off’ and weekends. “My husband was great at coming to the rescue when I was almost over it!”, she laughs. The built-in wardrobes in the kids’ bedrooms were originally a soft shade of pink and the pair managed to keep the original doors and sections, giving them a lift with a fresh coat of paint and some different drawer and cupboard handles. The handle on Ned’s cupboard door is actually a vintage car hood ornament.
Will’s bedroom is also eclectically styled with old, found and new items – making for a character-filled room that’s in keeping with the friendly atmosphere of the entire home.
When renovating, the big ticket items are always going to be the kitchen and bathrooms. Coppard found that she could spend money on just a few features and then use various budget items to achieve a successful look that’s in keeping with the ‘splurge’ or ‘steal’ items. The wall-hung toilet and fully mirrored wall were the two splurge items in the main bathroom.
With two home renovations now under her belt, Coppard has recently partnered up with a friend to buy, renovate and sell houses. Their new business venture is called ‘Outside the Square Projects’. “When we’re budgeting for a look we’re trying to create, it always seems to return what we call ‘an easy 15!’. This means, $15K for a bathroom, $15K for a basic kitchen, $15K for painting and so on. It amazes us how often we are so close to this figure when quotes come back.”
With two home renovations now under her belt, Coppard has recently partnered up with a friend to buy, renovate and sell houses. Their new business venture is called ‘Outside the Square Projects’. “When we’re budgeting for a look we’re trying to create, it always seems to return what we call ‘an easy 15!’. This means, $15K for a bathroom, $15K for a basic kitchen, $15K for painting and so on. It amazes us how often we are so close to this figure when quotes come back.”
The master bedroom is located at the front of the home on the second storey and is complete with its own ensuite and verandah.
A gorgeous array of textures are again seen in this room, with the checkered wooden feature wall behind the couple’s bed. Vintage suitcases are piled high to form a creative bedside table and the pendant lamps provide a warm glow against the rich dark wall.
Looking back on the renovation of her home, Coppard says one of her biggest design struggles was deciding how to achieve the things they wanted, within their budget. Splash backs in kitchens, a quality benchtop and oven are all expensive items in the kitchen alone.
“In hindsight, I think it would have been cheaper to have the builder quote on all of the projects at the one time, instead of job by job. But this was also something we couldn’t afford to do at the time. It’s nice I think that our house is like a canvas that can continue to evolve or change with new ideas and looks.”
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“In hindsight, I think it would have been cheaper to have the builder quote on all of the projects at the one time, instead of job by job. But this was also something we couldn’t afford to do at the time. It’s nice I think that our house is like a canvas that can continue to evolve or change with new ideas and looks.”
TELL US
What do you like about this eclectic home? Share your thoughts in the Comments.
Who lives here: Tonita Coppard and Adrian McKay, and sons Will, 17, and Ned, 14
Location: Toowoomba, Queensland
Size: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
When the family moved into the house the way it was, people would ask how they were going, living in a 1960s house. “We’d often admit it was ugly, but we also loved it. It just felt like a home”, says Coppard. Despite the half-wood, half-lino floors and partially knocked out walls throughout the six years it took to complete the renovations, both Coppard and McKay agreed the home had a great feel. Coppard also recalls feeling like things were progressing in the direction they’d hoped for and they had time to visualise the new spaces they were creating.