The Design Files

Magazine →

Go to

The Design Files Directory →

PRODUCTS →

Interiors

8 Memorable 'Before + After' Transformations From 2024

Is there any greater home inspiration than a jaw-dropping ‘before and after’ transformation? We think not.

In 2024 we saw some incredible renovations, from perfectly pastel kitchens to a first-home buyer’s Fitzroy North unit transformation, and even a 1950s weatherboard renovated on a modest budget.

Scroll down for the ultimate reno inspiration!

Written

Lucy Feagins

Inside Sally’s refreshed Melbourne home. Sequence coffee table by Coco Flip. Striped vase by Amy Leeworthy. Agra rug in Artichoke by Armadillo. Custom couch designed by LH Design Hub and made by Ivanhoe Upholstery. Painting by Heath Wae. Woven artwork by Tais Rose Wae. ‘Feels Like Home’ floor lamp by Lana Launay. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Second-hand bar stools from Facebook Marketplace. Hat pendant lights from Mud Australia. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

The view into the kitchen. Antique heart chair from Facebook Marketplace, covered in Warwick fabric by Upholstery Direct. Door frame painted in Dulux Pistachio Tang. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Before + After: A Melbourne Share House Turned Dreamy ‘Grown-Up’ Home

When it comes to updating your home, sometimes the smallest changes can make a world of difference — and this recently refreshed 1920s bungalow proves the power of a cosmetic renovation.

Editor and creative consultant Sally Tabart and her husband Jeremy bought the Melbourne home in 2019, and initially moved in with housemates. But now with the house to themselves and a baby on the way, Sally wanted the space to feel ‘a bit more grown up’.

See how Sally transformed their kitchen, living room, and garden, without making a single structural change!

Read the full story here

Inside Pied-à-Paris by Studio A.mi. Photo – Tom Blachford.

A custom-made burl and velvet banquette seat creates a sophisticated dining space. Artwork: The Swinging Tree by Sean Bailey. Photo – Tom Blachford.

Marble benchtops and hand-applied limewash add to the European aesthetic. Photo – Tom Blachford.

This Melbourne Apartment Hides A Parisian-Inspired Makeover

Parisian interiors have a reputation for being effortlessly chic.

This Melbourne apartment — inside a former department building in the CBD — is more than 16,000 kilometres from the city of love. But thanks to Studio A.mi‘s heritage-inspired renovation, the home now embodies the same elegance the French are famous for.

Read the full story here

Photo – Jonathan van der Knaap. Styling – Maz Mis.

A Dekton bench was added for extra dining and entertaining surface space. Solid blackwood timber joinery and cabinetry. Photo – Jonathan van der Knaap. Styling – Maz Mis.

The owners fell in love with stainless-steel benchtops at their own workplaces. Photo – Jonathan van der Knaap. Styling – Maz Mis.

Before + After: A Mid-Century Modern Kitchen Transformation

The owners of this mid-century modern Adelaide pad engaged SpaceCraft Joinery to transform their small kitchen into an open, inviting space while honouring the home’s legacy — having been in the family for two generations.

Their vision came to life within a few months. With Blackwood timber accents, bespoke cabinetry and muted green tones, the new space is the perfect backdrop to the couple’s eclectic collection of art, indoor plants and mid-century furniture.

Read the full story here

Westinghouse rangehood and induction cooktop. Lugano Sink 90 Degree Mixer tap. Seima sink. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Kit Cat clock from Pinky’s. Walls painted Dulux Vivid White. Pink Flowerpot VP1 light shade by Verner Panton. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

A Colourful Scandi-Inspired Kitchen

Melbourne designer Emily Green (co-owner of Preston gift shop Pinky’s) has always loved the look of Scandinavian and German kitchens that play with fun colour combinations and interesting patterns.

So when Emily and her husband Louis Turner scrapped plans to extend their Reservoir family home, they decided to renovate the kitchen alone.

In this renovation diary, Emily reveals how they transformed their plain white fit-out into a true hero feature of the house with custom butter-yellow joinery and made-to-order purple tiles — all the way from the Netherlands.

Read the full story here

The kitchen was reoriented to face the living area. Unica & Co ceramic bowls. Photo – Jonathan van der Knaap. Styling – Maz Mis.

Dulux Primal two-pack with ForestOne Saffron Yellow melamine. Photo – Jonathan van der Knaap. Styling – Maz Mis.

Using melamine was effective in keeping costs down, working to reduce the amount of matching two-pack surfaces required such as on the tile trim and cylindrical table leg. Photo – Jonathan van der Knaap. Styling – Maz Mis.

A Personality-Packed Kitchen Transformation

South Australian-based design studio SpaceCraft are the masters of taking ‘safe, white kitchens’ and injecting them with personality.

Take this Adelaide kitchen. What was a plain and simple white kitchen (most likely installed for sale) has been transformed to reflect the new owners’ needs (cooking, but also listening to records) and their personal style.

The renovated kitchen celebrates vibrant shades of pinky-brown and butter yellow, and oozes positivity!

Read the full story here

Custom cabinetry designed by Amanda Lynn and Theo Sismanellis at Mint Kitchens, including the cabinetry under the stairs, which hides the fridge — ‘We used a simple, inexpensive bracket to create an integrated fridge at a fraction of the cost’, says Elly. Perrini tiles. Dinosaur designs jugs and fruit bowls. IKEA lamp. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

Custom cabinetry designed by Amanda Lynn and Theo Sismanellis at Mint Kitchens. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

View to the outside courtyard, designed and built by Merrigum Lane landscaping. Pallisade table and bench seat by Hay. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

How These First Home Buyers Transformed Their 100-Square-Metre Fitzroy North Unit

Visitors to Elly Petroulias and Adam Gleeson’s 1970s unit before they purchased it in 2021 might struggle to recognise the bright, colourful home it is today.

Although the home’s structure remains the same, the couple have maximised space within the 100 square-metre home by re-orientating the floorplan, and brightened the home up considerably with a fresh new colour palette and new flooring, cabinetry and furnishings.

Read the full story here

La Cucina by A.mi is a recently renovated kitchen in South Yarra. ‘Coevolve 3’ painting by Kate Tucker from Daine Singer Gallery. Photo – Sean Fennessy.

The eye-catching granite is now a hero feature. Photo – Sean Fennessy.

An imposing structural column has been transformed into a central island bench, now built in to its side. Photo – Sean Fennessy.

Before + After: A Melbourne Apartment’s Milanese-Inspired Kitchen Renovation

The feeling of being ‘at a bar for aperitivo hour in the streets of Milan’ inspired the sleek redesign of this kitchen inside a South Yarra apartment.

The owners engaged Melbourne-based interior designer Anouska Milstein of A.mi to replace a poorly designed 2000s renovation with something more functional and timeless.

Apricot-coloured Venetian plaster on the walls, new timber joinery, and patterned granite benchtops have made the compact kitchen the heart of the home.

Read the full story here.

Photo – Pier Carthew.

The once narrow kitchen of the post-war build has been carefully extended to create an open-plan area. Photo – Pier Carthew.

Outside the endearing weatherboard. Photo – Pier Carthew.

How A Three-Year Renovation Revived This Enchanting 1950s Weatherboard

Graduate architect and designer Shelby Lenehan and plumber Heath Turner have spent three years renovating their 1950s home in Geelong, Victoria.

The couple moved into the post-war weatherboard in 2021, when it featured a drab 2000s kitchen renovation and mouldy walls, that overshadowed the home’s original art deco details.

But room by room, Shelby and Heath have brought the character and soul of this house back to life, with timeless timbers, luxurious stone surfaces, and warm golden hues — all achieved on a surprisingly modest budget!

Read the full story here