Damn, I love a reno show. I just bought a house in Wattle Park that needs some serious renovating and styling, and I’m one of those nerds who actually takes notes during renovation TV shows!
I’ve got my notepad ready for a brand new, supercharged series of Reno Rumble that premieres on Monday, March 21 at 7.30pm on Channel Nine! Six new couples will compete in the ultimate battle of East versus West, with two houses to be fully renovated every week.
With Gold Logie winning Scott Cam returning as host, you can’t go wrong!
Obviously, we only really care about the South Aussie contestants and I have a special attachment to Hayley and Jim — purely because my name is Hayley and my husband’s name is Jim(my). Also, they’ve just renovated their own home and Hayley is a control freak, which will make for interesting TV, I’m sure! The other SA team is headed by mother of three Leanne and her body builder son, Dane. Leanne owned the award winning Tin Shed Cafe in McLaren Vale, so she’s got her head firmly screwed on.
These awesome Adeladies are sharing their reno tips with us! Get your pens and paper ready – take notes!
Hayley xx
HAYLEY (Hayley and Jim)
1. Measure EVERYTHING!
When shopping for furniture, take the measuring tape and measure everything. And then get someone else to measure it, and then both of you measure it together again. It is so important to know how long and wide and deep a space is, especially if you are having something custom made so you are confident it will be the perfect fit.
2. Draw a floor plan…TO SCALE!
It is hilarious how much bigger your space will look when you draw a pretty picture freehand and you start visualising how amazing your room will be with all that space, IT’S AN ILLUSION! Draw all your walls, benches, furniture etc to scale so there are no nasty surprises!
3. Painting sounds fun, but isn’t.
Painting is allllllll in the prep. If you are sprucing up a room with a slap of paint, do it properly and buy yourself some gap filler ($4 from your local hardware) and some sand paper and go around and fill all the little cracks, holes & imperfections with a thin layer of filler then sand it back. Old window frames and skirting boards are THE WORST and will take some time, but gap filling properly will make your paint job look mighty profesh. Bonus Tip* When painting doors and skirts go and invest in a $5 mini foam roller- it will change your life!
4. Styling is SO HARD.
If you are a minimalist with no idea about styling and don’t even know what kind of style you’re going for (like myself) then filling a room can be VERY HARD. I would start by choosing a colour palette you fancy (I like whites, greys, blues & greens) and basically buy everything you see that has these colours in it.
Different textured cushions, candles, art, random books about anything, ornaments, rugs, throws, EVERYTHING and all in different shades, and then take it home and piece it together. Plants look good in basically every room and will suit most palettes so you can’t really go wrong there. Just keep all your receipts and return all the stuff you didn’t find a home for (Or just see Leanne’s styling tips because she’s get the eye! 😉
5. Plan first, and think outside the square
If you are building or have a clean slate to work with, talk to your builder about what you can do ‘outside the square’, like including a bulkhead in front of your curtains to hide the rod and feature downlights, or recess the television / bedhead into the wall, or a niche in the shower for soaps. Don’t just think that slapping up four walls is you’re only option — get creative with your design and plan ahead before your build, it will make the most incredible difference!
LEANNE (Dane and Leanne)
Well it looks like Dane and I missed out in the name pool scenario Hayley!!! Might I say “I have also renovated two homes and my business premises.”
I would have to say my style would be classic/contemporary with a bit of rustic thrown in! Actually I’m a strong believer that you can make any style combo work, it’s all about how you put it together. Here are my Top 5 Tips of renovating and styling:
My biggest tip and the golden rule is…… PCBG
Plan Colour Bigger items Gradual layering
P.
Collate imagery of what you want your perfect room to look like. If you need help with this flick through some magazines, or go online and do some re-search.
C.
Your home needs to scream your personality! Be bold but make it functional avoid mixing too many colours introduce a two-or-three-colour combination.
B.
Work with unique pieces, antiques something that has attached memories. It might be your mothers or grandmothers side dresser ,dining table or a stunning sofa you might have your eyes on, anything that has the wow!! factor to you, then start styling around that.
G.
Layering and I mean LAYERING!! I must admit this is my favourite thing to do! Don’t forget to use different textures .A fresh cut flower in one of your grouped vases for example will bring life to that area. Layers will make your home feel styled rather than staged.
Also, have the courage of your own convictions, by that I mean carry through with what YOU believe is right and stay on track and your goal will become a reality.
Feature image credit: 9jumpin.com.au
