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Decorating
My Houzz: An Interior Designer's Joyful Easy-to-Live-In Home
See how an interior designer imbued a 1950s bungalow with laid-back charm... and squeezed in extra space for her boys
Interior designer Sophie Kost of My Beautiful Abode and her husband Michael knew they’d found the one when they first laid eyes on their 1950s bungalow 17 years ago. “We were a loved-up newlywed couple looking for our forever home – one where we could raise a family and live for the next 40-plus years,” she says. “This house ticked so many boxes.”
But years later, with two growing boys under their roof, space – or lack of it – became a serious issue. “We knew we had outgrown the house – our younger son is anticipated to grow to well over six feet tall, just like his brother and father, so space was at a premium. But we didn’t want to move – we’re part of a beautiful community here,” says Kost. Instead, they embarked on a renovation and second-storey addition in 2019.
But years later, with two growing boys under their roof, space – or lack of it – became a serious issue. “We knew we had outgrown the house – our younger son is anticipated to grow to well over six feet tall, just like his brother and father, so space was at a premium. But we didn’t want to move – we’re part of a beautiful community here,” says Kost. Instead, they embarked on a renovation and second-storey addition in 2019.
The facade of the house
Kost knew the 1950s bungalow had loads of potential when she first saw it. “This style of house is great for renovating. This area is scattered with loads of them, although there aren’t too many left on our street,” says Kost.
With the boys growing up fast, adding more space became a priority. The couple added a second storey that houses two bedrooms for their sons, Matthew and Peter, a shared bathroom and a rumpus room.
Kost knew the 1950s bungalow had loads of potential when she first saw it. “This style of house is great for renovating. This area is scattered with loads of them, although there aren’t too many left on our street,” says Kost.
With the boys growing up fast, adding more space became a priority. The couple added a second storey that houses two bedrooms for their sons, Matthew and Peter, a shared bathroom and a rumpus room.
The rear of the house
“We maintained the same footprint of the house by extending upwards via a divine cathedral ceiling to include two new bedrooms, a rumpus room and an additional bathroom for the boys. In other words, I now have a bathroom sanctuary that’s exclusively mine. In a house full of menfolk, I can’t tell you the joy that brings,” she says.
“The demolition phase started at the end of January and we moved in early September… with a six-week road trip up the east coast of Australia in between.”
Inspired to get cracking with your own renovation? Find a local interior designer on Houzz who can help make it happen
“We maintained the same footprint of the house by extending upwards via a divine cathedral ceiling to include two new bedrooms, a rumpus room and an additional bathroom for the boys. In other words, I now have a bathroom sanctuary that’s exclusively mine. In a house full of menfolk, I can’t tell you the joy that brings,” she says.
“The demolition phase started at the end of January and we moved in early September… with a six-week road trip up the east coast of Australia in between.”
Inspired to get cracking with your own renovation? Find a local interior designer on Houzz who can help make it happen
“My design philosophy is focused on non-pretentious, easy-to-live-in style, and with older children, child-proofing wasn’t as much a consideration than it would have been 10 years ago,” says Kost.
“That said, we recently welcomed a new addition to our family – a gorgeous fluffball called Skye who is more than partial to my beautiful sheer curtains in the living room. We think a few strategically placed water spray bottles are going to have to be our next decorating investment.”
“That said, we recently welcomed a new addition to our family – a gorgeous fluffball called Skye who is more than partial to my beautiful sheer curtains in the living room. We think a few strategically placed water spray bottles are going to have to be our next decorating investment.”
Kost set about bringing the interior to life with colour and personal touches. “My core design principle is to create spaces for living. I’d hate for any of my spaces to be so perfectly beautiful that people feel they can’t walk in or use the room as it was intended, whether it’s eating with friends and family or flicking through the weekend papers,” she says.
“When decorating this house, I wanted it to be comfortable and low-maintenance. So I selected white for the walls and brought in colour through artwork, soft furnishings, mixing materials and indoor plants,” she says. The result? A bright, airy and relaxed home – with plenty of space for everyone.
“When decorating this house, I wanted it to be comfortable and low-maintenance. So I selected white for the walls and brought in colour through artwork, soft furnishings, mixing materials and indoor plants,” she says. The result? A bright, airy and relaxed home – with plenty of space for everyone.
Delightful displays of art around the home add colour and character – even in practical spots such as the bathrooms and laundry. “It’s a combination of original art, prints, family photos and homemade creations,” says Kost.
“The Susan Trigg original was the first thing I chose for the living room. I then built my selections for furnishings and furniture around it.”
Artwork: Susan Trigg
“The Susan Trigg original was the first thing I chose for the living room. I then built my selections for furnishings and furniture around it.”
Artwork: Susan Trigg
“The living/dining room is definitely the hub of the house,” says Kost. “We enlarged this room, stealing space from the deck, so we could fit in a dining table to seat 10 to 12 people and our giant, modular sofa.
“This sofa was our biggest splurge – it was custom-made and covered in bottle-green velvet. But it’s the workhorse of the house and looks and feels beautiful,” says Kost.
“The bench at the back of the sofa helps define the space and does double duty as extra seating at the dining table when we have a crowd.”
Sofa: custom-made; TV cabinet: Asian Tide
“This sofa was our biggest splurge – it was custom-made and covered in bottle-green velvet. But it’s the workhorse of the house and looks and feels beautiful,” says Kost.
“The bench at the back of the sofa helps define the space and does double duty as extra seating at the dining table when we have a crowd.”
Sofa: custom-made; TV cabinet: Asian Tide
“Every weekend we have a family movie night and snuggle on the big sofa – although my youngest has claimed the round ottoman as ‘his spot’,” says Kost.
“When decorating my home, my goals were to add warmth and express my style in a space that was liveable.”
“When decorating my home, my goals were to add warmth and express my style in a space that was liveable.”
As a designer and decorator, it’s little surprise that Kost has nailed the art of a great vignette – interesting little collections of mementoes and greenery are dotted throughout her home, which draw the eye and bring otherwise quiet corners to life.
“It’s a bit of a standing joke with my friends and colleagues that I love a good vignette. Not many of my designs leave the studio without one or two, three or five,” she says.
“It’s a bit of a standing joke with my friends and colleagues that I love a good vignette. Not many of my designs leave the studio without one or two, three or five,” she says.
“Vignettes add colour, texture and interest to a space. They are a pretty way to display your things and also serve a purpose, giving you somewhere to arrange your candles, cut flowers from the garden or the dish you use to hold jewellery, coins or keys,” says Kost.
“Greenery is a big part of my decorating style. Some of my plants are faux, but most are real. Indoor plants literally add life to a space.”
“Greenery is a big part of my decorating style. Some of my plants are faux, but most are real. Indoor plants literally add life to a space.”
For the window coverings, Kost specified simple styles that would provide light control without visually dominating the space. “I have soft sheer curtains to the big sliding doors in the dining room that open onto the deck and roller blinds that tuck neatly into pelmets in the living room,” she says.
Playful touches, such as the green front door, add another layer of cheer to this warm family home. “We chose this green – Dulux Molly Robins – as it sits well with the exterior colours and has a 1950s flavour that suits the age of the house.”
Family photographs and treasured framed artworks by the kids line the hallway and greet guests as they enter the house.
The artwork over the console in the living room is an affordable canvas print from Urban Road. “It really works in this room, and I love that most people mistake it for an original,” says Kost.
With a few clever cosmetic updates, the couple was able to bring the kitchen up-to-date on a shoestring. “Many people think we installed a new kitchen as part of the renovation, but in fact it’s from an earlier small remodel. We simply gave it new life by adding a new pantry and updating the splashback with simple white subway tiles,” says Kost.
The designer made a feature of the family’s tea and toast-making station by finishing it in a striking rust hue.
“In over 20 years in the industry, I’ve developed quite a list of contacts, suppliers and builders and it was a joy to work with them bringing my own project to life,” says Kost. “I believe the success of any project comes down to the quality of the relationships and communication, and it was through collaboration that we had so many wonderful outcomes here.”
“In over 20 years in the industry, I’ve developed quite a list of contacts, suppliers and builders and it was a joy to work with them bringing my own project to life,” says Kost. “I believe the success of any project comes down to the quality of the relationships and communication, and it was through collaboration that we had so many wonderful outcomes here.”
The guest powder room
Kost credits a great deal of this successful renovation to her team’s close working relationships. “One example was when we discovered midway through the build that our powder room was darker than expected,” she says.
“Because of the roof junction above the space, we couldn’t install a traditional skylight. Instead, at the suggestion of the builder, we installed a solar-powered Illume light, which changes how bright the glow is to match the brightness of the natural light in the space at any given time. We love it.”
Kost credits a great deal of this successful renovation to her team’s close working relationships. “One example was when we discovered midway through the build that our powder room was darker than expected,” she says.
“Because of the roof junction above the space, we couldn’t install a traditional skylight. Instead, at the suggestion of the builder, we installed a solar-powered Illume light, which changes how bright the glow is to match the brightness of the natural light in the space at any given time. We love it.”
The result was a great success. “As the sole female in our home – even the kitten is part of the blokes’ wolf pack – I love walking past my powder room, with its sweet little penny round tiles and soft walls,” says Kost.
Floor tiles: Maximo 300 x 600 millimetres in Black with Magellan grey grout; wall tiles: Spatial White Gloss 300 x 600 millimetres; feature tiles: Mono Penny Round White Mosaics; all Beaumont Tiles
Floor tiles: Maximo 300 x 600 millimetres in Black with Magellan grey grout; wall tiles: Spatial White Gloss 300 x 600 millimetres; feature tiles: Mono Penny Round White Mosaics; all Beaumont Tiles
The master bedroom
Warm neutral tones in the master bedroom create a cosy, cocooning feel.
Warm neutral tones in the master bedroom create a cosy, cocooning feel.
The guest bedroom
The chic, upholstered bedhead in the guest room was a bargain find at Kmart, says Kost.
The chic, upholstered bedhead in the guest room was a bargain find at Kmart, says Kost.
“The sofa in the kids’ rumpus room – aka ‘Xbox central’ – was our greatest steal. It was floor stock and cost $500,” says Kost.
A playful vignette adds a little fun and flair to the rumpus room.
“The boys’ bathroom has dramatic blue walls – Dulux Happy Days – and a striking raked ceiling. It’s a beautiful space that makes me happy to be in, particularly in those wonderful first 20 seconds after it has been cleaned,” says Kost.
Not even the laundry escaped the designer’s artistic touch, as this print proves.
“Why not have art in the laundry? It’s a space that’s usually all about drudgery, but I wanted to see something fun every time I walked past it,” says Kost.
Print: Society6
“Why not have art in the laundry? It’s a space that’s usually all about drudgery, but I wanted to see something fun every time I walked past it,” says Kost.
Print: Society6
Peter’s bedroom
“Peter is passionate about all things to do with cats, I tried to not make his room look too young while finding cat-themed bedding – he loves it,” says Kost.
“Peter is passionate about all things to do with cats, I tried to not make his room look too young while finding cat-themed bedding – he loves it,” says Kost.
Peter’s room has views across the back garden.
Matthew’s bedroom
“Matthew wanted red tones in his room and has a keen interest in many things, including foxes. He would like one as a pet, but that’s not happening under my watch!” says Kost.
“Matthew wanted red tones in his room and has a keen interest in many things, including foxes. He would like one as a pet, but that’s not happening under my watch!” says Kost.
Soft light filters in through the sliding doors in Matthew’s bedroom, as it does throughout this bright home, filled with artistic touches.
Your turn
What do you love about this house? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Want to step inside another inspiring home? Don’t miss this My Houzz: A New Home Renovator Finds a Passion for Design
Your turn
What do you love about this house? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story and save the images for inspiration. Go on, join the conversation.
More
Want to step inside another inspiring home? Don’t miss this My Houzz: A New Home Renovator Finds a Passion for Design
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Interior designer Sophie Kost of My Beautiful Abode, her husband Michael, and their sons Matthew, 12, Peter, 10, and Skye the kitten
Location: Burwood, Victoria
Size: Four bedrooms and three bathrooms
Did you use Houzz for this project? “Pictures really do tell a story and this is where I have found Houzz to be an excellent resource. I encourage my clients to make Houzz ideabooks of all the spaces and things that resonate with them,” says Kost. “Patterns emerge from these ideabooks that help me identify exactly what my clients love. I then look at working these ideas into their homes.”