How an 80s style house was transformed into a light, bright family home

Article by Your Home and Garden

Before Jess and Sanjay Singh moved in, this home was drowning in 80s style. Their renovation has totally transformed it, see more below

Meet + greet

Jess Singh, 34 (photographer and stylist), Sanjay Singh, 36 (police officer), Méa, 13, Leila, 11, and Nala, 9, plus Arlo the chocolate Lab.

Problems & solutions

The interior was “drowning” in the 1980s. > Dated ceilings and architraves were removed and the multicoloured palette swapped for soothing white.

No second bathroom. > Space was shaved from the bathroom in order to add a toilet and shower to the laundry.

The kitchen was stuck in the past. > A new splashback, paint job, door pulls and modernised island have brought it into the correct century.

Style tips

Choose a colour and style theme before starting so that each room feels like it belongs to part of a bigger story.
Double check before going ahead with a colour or style that you love because it’s a lot easier to change your mind then than later.
Painting one colour throughout the house gives a sense of continuity between rooms. It also creates a light and bright canvas, which can be calming. This is particularly important when you have a busy home.
Mixing decor styles and more expensive items with cheaper finds can be fun and creates real interest. You can find all sorts of gems at op-shops and secondhand stores, so try your luck!
If you don’t love it, leave it. It will never feel right if it isn’t ‘you’.

Gallery | 12 Photos
Read more about this home here

Honesty box

Is there anything you would change if you could? Jess: We should have bought a smaller bath because the one we chose is massive!

Budget

Bedrooms $4500 for all three
Living $2500
Kitchen/dining $3500
Laundry $2000
Half bathroom (in laundry) $5000
Family bathroom $8000
Hallway and stairwell $2000
Flooring $9000
Exterior $4000

Total spend $40,500 approximately

Scroll down to see before and after’s of the New Plymouth renovation

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Living area after.

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Living area before.

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The couple embraced their home’s ’80s shapes and the sloping ceilings that make the living areas feel more spacious. They decided to only partially cover the windows for added light and interest.

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Removing the door between the dining and living areas allows the girls to hang out with their friends while Jess and Sanjay can still be close by in the dining/kitchen zone.

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Stairway before.

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Stairway after.

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By adding a benchtop and an antique mirror, the laundry now feels like a room rather than an access point to the garden. Jess is a fan of storing practical items in pretty baskets, which she has done here and in the bathrooms and bedrooms.