Home Tours

This 1930s bungalow mixes traditional and modern touches seamlessly

A damp and musty 1930s bungalow has been given a new lease of life and is loved once more thanks to its new owners

Who lives here?
Eva Nash (director of Rogan Nash Architects), David Nash (Bunnings national supply chain manager), Nico, 3.

Aside from the architectural design, what other things did you do yourselves?
We’ve taken a hands-on approach with all our renos so this one was no different. We painted the interior of the house ourselves (often late at night so we could make the project go faster) as well as completing some of the internal finishes, landscaping and fences.

How long did the project take and where did you live during this time?
Because we did a lot of the finishing ourselves, at night and on the weekends, it meant we could speed up the progress – so it only took us 11 weeks to completely transform our house. We lived with my mum during the reno.

Did your renovation throw up any surprises?
There are always surprises when renovating an old house. The existing timber floors were in poor condition, partly missing and couldn’t be reused, we had to re-strengthen half the roof because the old framing was inadequate, and we struck volcanic rock when we were digging the deck foundations. You have to be adaptable and quick-thinking to overcome the challenges of a renovation.

Style secrets to steal from this home

  • Consider the sun when you are planning your spaces
  • Natural sunlight always makes rooms feel warm and inviting
  • Think about the visual connection between outside and inside
  • If you can see your back lawn, it will encourage you to go out there!
  • Bedrooms are the perfect places to personalise and have fun with colours and accessories

Words by: Annick Larkin. Photos by: Emma MacDonald.

Create the home of your dreams with Shop Your Home and Garden

SHOP NOW

FEATURED