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Pulling your life savings together to buy your first home is one thing; figuring out how you’re going to renovate it is another.
Like most first-home buyers, Top Down Studios director Denise Barbosa and musician/guitar repairer Eamon Smith bought their unit in Sydney’s west knowing it would be a bit of a fixer-upper.
The most problematic space was the 8-square-metre kitchen, which Denise says had ‘no redeeming qualities about it’.
‘It was impractical with no pantry, a stove shoved into the corner, a recirculating range hood, and a tiny fridge hole. It was disconnected from the rest of the house and was just as impractical as it was ugly,’ the interior designer says.
The new kitchen’s non-negotiables
As the cook of the house, Eamon outlined some pragmatic non-negotiables: a new induction stove; a full-height pantry; a French door fridge; and more bench space.
Meanwhile, Denise’s priority was finding ways to inject the soulless 2000s fit-out with a newfound sense of character — and it all started with the joinery’s playful star-shaped back plates from MG&Co.
These aged brass details, alongside the couple’s growing collection of teak and timber furniture, encouraged Denise to embrace a mid-century-modern theme for the redesign.
How they stuck to their ‘extremely tight’ budget
In sticking to their budget of $20,000, Denise and Eamon rolled up their sleeves and tackled most of the work themselves. They ripped out the existing kitchen to make way for a spatially efficient U-shaped plan, designed around a ‘proper’ island bench.
‘My dad is very, very handy and has flipped houses my whole life, so he came over and taught us how to tile the floor and splashback’ says Denise. ‘The splashback tiles we actually got for free from my husband’s aunty, as she recently did her house and had excess, so that was a huge financial win!’
The playful joinery was one of the only elements in the renovation they engaged a professional for. Even then, it was difficult to find someone who could work to their ‘extremely tight’ budget. Getting the job completed at their desired standard took a few tries, along with plenty of oversight and problem-solving from Denise as the project manager.
Why it pays to invest in the right trades
‘If I had my time again, I would wait a little longer and save a little more to get a better quality product, service and outcome. That goes for everything really — you get what you pay for!’
Impressively, the entire kitchen renovation ended up coming just over budget, costing the savvy couple a total of $21,570. And even though it’s not their forever home, for Denise and Eamon, it was money well spent.
‘Even when it’s overcast outside, the yellow cupboards with the pink knobs bring me so much joy,’ Denise adds.
Budget breakdown
Joinery (including fabrication, installation, and stone): $13,000
Hardware and handles: $520
Splashback tiles: $0
Floor tiles: $2000
Tapware: $400
Oven: $1800
Stove: $1200
Fridge: $2000
Rangehood: $400
Lighting: $250
Renovation total: $21,570
