Total transformation: Hamptons-style haven
Would-be renovators could take a lesson from Erin Cayless, Bonnie Hindmarsh and Lana Taylor – aka Three Birds Renovations. These Sydneysiders, with nary a building qualification or decorating degree between them, completed their latest whole home makeover in just six weeks – and that’s par for the course. This light-filled, two-storey, four-bedroom brick-and-weatherboard home with a Hamptons vibe is their fourth project in the last two years. It is also completely unrecognisable from its dark and dingy former self...
Extending the existing platform on either side and creating a servery has made the outdoor area at the rear of the home an entertainer’s dream. Stools from Domayne and Clickon Furniture, together with an outdoor setting also found at Domayne (for similar, try their ‘Bali II’ setting), add to the relaxed vibe. A white-painted pergola defines the new outdoor room to the left. The deck area has been created with fibre-cement HardieDeck from James Hardie and painted in Taubmans’ Wolf Cry to match the original porch. The Scyon ‘Stria’ wall cladding, painted in half-strength Taubmans’ Mink Scorpio, is repeated indoors.
A mess of overgrown shrubs was cleared away to make room for a pretty entryway (left) via French doors. Reefstone 800mm x 400mm concrete stepping stones from Amber Tiles were laid into the lawn and, along with simple plantings and tidily mulched beds, give the entry definition. The freestanding hanging chair (for similar, try Domayne’s ‘Rope’ egg chair) and Hamptons At Home bench seat add coastal flair. The sitting area (centre) overlooks the front verandah and hosts an Ikea sofa (for similar, try their ‘Karlstad’ sofa), rugs from Hamptons At Home, and armchairs and side tables from Oz Design Furniture – their ‘Ivy’ chair is similar and their ‘Flamingo’ side table also has a marble top. The White Spirit print from Olive Et Oriel adds interest. The understairs nook (right) is lined in Scyon ‘Stria’ shiplap wall cladding that also forms a bench seat, and features cushions and throw (all from Adairs), Oz Design Furniture stool and About Space wall sconce.
Painted in Taubmans’ Snow Drop, the living room is decorated with a light touch to enhance the sense of space: furniture sourced from Oz Design Furniture – a ‘Felix’ 3-seater sofa with timber legs, ‘Bramble’ chairs with open armrests and ‘Bagru’ perforated timber coffee and side tables – all contribute to the room’s ethereal aesthetic. A rug from Lived In Coogee gives shape to the seating area, while a selection of cushions and a Cactus View print, all from Oz Design Furniture, add subtle colour.
The Three Birds Renovations team stole space from the former laundry to transform the minute and dark kitchen. The existing window gave a view onto the neighbouring house – it was covered over to help deliver a wall of panelled cabinetry by Collective Joinery painted in Taubmans’ Script Writer. The Talostone composite stone surface in Carrara Gioia tops an L-shaped run of base cabinets and wraps around the breakfast bar, with timber-topped ‘Tractor’ bar stools from Oz Design Furniture providing a textural note. Mercator ‘Romy’ pendants from Bunnings, 150mm x 150mm splashback tiles from Amber Tiles and matt black tapware from Meir Australia complete the look.
Getting the Hamptons look in your kitchen is easy if you follow a few simple rules: we show you how here.
Throughout the airy ground floor, which includes the dining area, pale flooring in the shape of Formica 12mm laminate in Whitewash Oak from Bunnings unifies the space and amps up the light factor. The pair of stylish French doors – also sourced from Bunnings – that open out onto the newly extended deck, do the same. A timber-topped table and bench, found at Hamptons At Home, is centred beneath Home Design ‘Marmo’ marble pendants from Bunnings and add warmth and depth.
The space where the master suite is now was previously a featureless void. A dwarf wall, clad in Scyon 'Stria', now frames the bed and screens the walk-in wardrobe behind. Painted in Taubmans’ Snow Drop, with a pair of copper sconces from About Space doing duty as bedside lights, the wall – which also showcases Danielle Cross’s print We Are Sole – is as much of a feature as the open ensuite. In the spotlight is a ‘Monaco’ vanity from Renovation D, teamed with a matt black mixer from Reece and a metal-framed West Elm circular mirror, and set against a feature panel of Spanish handmade ‘Menta’ 150mm x 75mm tiles from Amber Tiles. Durastone 50mm x 25mm herringbone floor tiles and ‘Statuario’ 600mm x 600mm wall tiles, both from Amber Tiles, complete the palette.
A small upstairs ensuite was ripped out and the room extended by pinching space from an adjacent bedroom, creating a spacious main bathroom. The monochrome scheme has ‘Terra Nero’ 250mm x 216mm hexagonal floor tiles and ‘Statuario Venato’ 300mm x 75mm feature wall tiles, both from Amber Tiles, complementing the same square tiles used in the kitchen splashback. They are a restrained backdrop to the wall-hung ‘Monaco’ vanity from Renovation D and large freestanding Kado ‘Lure’ bath and black tapware, both from Reece.
