This beautifully renovated Queensland home belongs to Andrew Nehill and Angela Pratt, and their two kids Rosie (12 yrs) and Lottie (11 yrs). The family have been here 11 years, but only undertook major renovations in late 2016 ‘Although we expected to renovate within 12 months, it took us 10 years to start (!) and by that time, the house was very, very tired and practically falling down around us.’ Andrew recalls. After moving out for just seven months whilst the works were completed, the family returned home in April 2017 with a new appreciation for their old/new house!
The recent extension and renovation was carried out by Brisbane interior design firm Wrightson Stewart. The existing four room cottage has been significantly extended, with a clean, contemporary new addition that connects sympathetically to the existing residence, and maximises the use of the double-block.
The original house now houses the main bedroom, ensuite, study and 2nd living space, whilst the extension contains a new entryway, hallway, two bedrooms, bathroom, living/dining, kitchen and deck.
‘The renovations took us from a three bedroom house to a three bedroom house, but that is all we need!’ explains Andrew. ‘We are planning on this being our family home with spaces to grow into as the girls grow up. We preferred to allocate the space to living space that we will use, rather than unused bedrooms.
Inside, the rooms are compact but versatile, featuring beautiful custom designed joinery and built in furniture, which maximise space. For instance, he media unit is neatly housed within the back of the banquette.
‘We love the built in joinery’ says Andrew. ‘It ties the new and old parts of the house together, with consistent materials through the kitchen, living, dining, hall, study and bathrooms’.
Angela is also an avid reader and wanted lots of space for books. As a result, book shelves weave through almost every room maximising every inch of space – under the lounge, under the banquette, and in the media unit. ‘Our budget didn’t allow for a dedicated library, but the living area is now one giant library, and books are all around but don’t dominate the space’ Andrew explains. ‘It’s nice to have lots of storage after having none for the past 11 years!’.
It’s clear Andrew and Angela are still in the ‘honeymoon’ phase after moving in to their newly renovated home, and have nothing but glowing reports for the designers and contractors who worked on their home. ‘Wrightson Stewart and our builder, Lachlan were both fantastic’ Andrew enthuses. ‘The designers normally deal with much grander projects than ours, but took this on as a challenge to deliver something interesting and beautiful within our modest budget. The house delivers this in spades. We can’t believe how beautiful it is and that it is ours.’
