HomeBeautiful
  • Open Homes
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor
  • Decorate
  • Hamptons
  • Podcasts
  • Beach House
  • hacks
HomeBeautiful
  • Open Homes
  • Bathroom
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor
  • Decorate
  • Hamptons
  • Podcasts
  • Beach House
  • hacks
Subscribe
Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

House Rules 2020 is back

House Rules 2020 is back

House Rules: Meet the new judges

House Rules: Meet the new judges

House Rules is coming soon!

House Rules is coming soon!

Revealed: Channel 7’s House Rules Judging Line-Up

Revealed: Channel 7’s House Rules Judging Line-Up

{headline}

{headline}

House Rules Grand Final: Pete & Courtney crowned 2019 champions

House Rules Grand Final: Pete & Courtney crowned 2019 champions

House Rules reveal: Tim & Mat's Melbourne cottage is completely transformed

House Rules reveal: Tim & Mat's Melbourne cottage is completely transformed

House Rules reveal: the first backyard challenge

House Rules reveal: the first backyard challenge

{headline}

{headline}

House Rules reveal: Shock elimination and a magnificently renovated family home

House Rules reveal: Shock elimination and a magnificently renovated family home

Montauk – the new Hamptons

Montauk – the new Hamptons

11 design ideas to steal from House Rules

11 design ideas to steal from House Rules

Your chance to win $100k for your own home makeover

Your chance to win $100k for your own home makeover

The best laundries of House Rules

The best laundries of House Rules

House Rules reveal: Katie & Alex’s crumbling cottage transformation

House Rules reveal: Katie & Alex’s crumbling cottage transformation

Style Rules Episode 4: The truth behind Mat and Tim's dirty laundry

Style Rules Episode 4: The truth behind Mat and Tim's dirty laundry

  1. Home
  2. Open Homes

Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade

Carolyn Burns-McCrave explains how she worked her decorating magic on this gorgeous family abode - by Words Jackie Brygel Styling Ruth Welsby
  • 15 Dec 2016
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade
Renovation expert: House Rules’ Carolyn Burns-McCrave talks tricks of the trade

Family room

Bright and sunny in summer and warm and cosy in winter with its romantic open fireplace, the family room is always the most social of zones. “Opening up the house on the northern side has completely changed the quality of light through the whole rear extension,” says Carolyn. “There are windows flanking the wood-burning fireplace to the south, light-wells to the east, borrowed northern light from the meals area and the sliding doors to the entertaining deck outside.” An organic, pared-back palette, with soothing splashes of green, provides a seamless link between inside and out. “We kept this space simply furnished in natural textures and tones that echo the gardens,” adds Carolyn.

Martina Gemmola

Family room

Carolyn’s design tip: “Built-in storage was key for this busy space and allowed me to introduce a timber element in scale to the room’s size,” she explains. “A credenza-style unit runs the length of the room and has timber storage at the other end in a stainless-steel-lined box.”

Martina Gemmola

Kitchen

Housed in the luminous new extension and grounded by the timeless beauty of smoked and black oak boards, the Hamptons-style kitchen is as family-friendly as it is beautiful. Topped in a Stone Italiana bench, the central island appears more like a piece of furniture. Subway-style tiles in honed Carrara marble swathe the splashback, while inky-hued 2-pac cabinetry adds a touch of drama.

Martina Gemmola

Entry hall

A stunning ‘Maxwell’ antique mirror and gold-leaf pendant light from Regency Distribution sets the scene in the entry hall. “This room has beautiful original wall panelling and a decorative plaster ceiling that we wanted to preserve and freshen up with white paint,” says Carolyn.

Martina Gemmola

Stairs

A brightly-coloured runner adorns the original staircase leading to the children’s wing on the first floor. “It was important to have some energy, pattern and colour here,” says Carolyn. “I also love bold, graphic wallpaper in transitional spaces and, as there was not a lot of natural light in the centre of the house, I used a metallic paper here to bounce some light around.”

Martina Gemmola

Formal dining room

Leading directly off the entry hall, the dining room is a study in elegance. Carolyn updated an antique table setting by reupholstering the chairs with a Schumacher ‘Ikat’ print. “I picked up the jewel tones in the fabric, and also the beautiful original leadlight windows, through a Baresque ‘Bodhi’ grasscloth wallpaper,” says Carolyn. 

Martina Gemmola

Powder room

Carolyn used the same Clarke & Clarke ‘Indira’ wallpaper in the entry hall on the side walls, with a deep turquoise three-dimensional tile (‘Aya’ ceramic mosaic tiles from Academy Tiles)
for the end wall. “The Pozzi Ginori basin on legs is a modern take on an old-fashioned washstand,” says Carolyn. “The [‘Treillage’] mirror from Regency Distribution provides a chinoiserie touch, and the [‘Nudie Slim’] pendant light from ISM Objects is reminiscent of a birdcage – just to follow the bird theme through!”

Martina Gemmola

Master ensuite

As busy working parents it was important to the owners that their ensuite bathroom be transformed into a sanctuary. A sculptural freestanding Caroma Pearl bath, teamed with a gleaming Scala floor-mounted mixer from Reece, a Kado Quad wall-mounted heated towel rail and a twin-basin stone vanity, all add up to a relaxed pamper zone. “I used a charcoal colour palette, a pattern-tiled feature wall [Jatana Interiors tiles] and a furniture-like floating double vanity for a sense of calm and balance,” explains Carolyn.

Martina Gemmola

Master ensuite

Carolyn’s design tip: “It was important to keep the proportions generous, especially with the high ceilings, which allowed us to hang a whimsical but inexpensive Ikea [‘Stockholm’] pendant,” says Carolyn of the show- stopping feature. “The play of light across the patterned tiles in this room is particularly nice, and the dark colour scheme makes it feel a world away from the family spaces.”

Martina Gemmola

  • Open Homes
  • House Rules

FREE Miranda Kerr Mug-SAVE 31%

by Royal Albert, when you subscribe

Subscribe Now
FREE Miranda Kerr Mug

FREE Miranda Kerr Mug-SAVE 31%

by Royal Albert, when you subscribe

Subscribe Now
FREE Miranda Kerr Mug

Featured Properties

Powered By

Recommended to you

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right
Watch 2:03

Getting your coastal kitchen floor plan right

{headline}

{headline}

House Rules 2020 is back

House Rules 2020 is back

House Rules: Meet the new judges

House Rules: Meet the new judges

House Rules is coming soon!

House Rules is coming soon!

Revealed: Channel 7’s House Rules Judging Line-Up

Revealed: Channel 7’s House Rules Judging Line-Up

{headline}

{headline}

House Rules Grand Final: Pete & Courtney crowned 2019 champions

House Rules Grand Final: Pete & Courtney crowned 2019 champions

House Rules reveal: Tim & Mat's Melbourne cottage is completely transformed

House Rules reveal: Tim & Mat's Melbourne cottage is completely transformed

House Rules reveal: the first backyard challenge

House Rules reveal: the first backyard challenge

{headline}

{headline}

House Rules reveal: Shock elimination and a magnificently renovated family home

House Rules reveal: Shock elimination and a magnificently renovated family home

Montauk – the new Hamptons

Montauk – the new Hamptons

11 design ideas to steal from House Rules

11 design ideas to steal from House Rules

Your chance to win $100k for your own home makeover

Your chance to win $100k for your own home makeover

The best laundries of House Rules

The best laundries of House Rules

House Rules reveal: Katie & Alex’s crumbling cottage transformation

House Rules reveal: Katie & Alex’s crumbling cottage transformation

Style Rules Episode 4: The truth behind Mat and Tim's dirty laundry

Style Rules Episode 4: The truth behind Mat and Tim's dirty laundry

HomeBeautiful
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
HomeBeautiful Magazine Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Subscribe Today
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Brands

  • Beauty Crew
  • marie claire
  • Who

Our Network

  • Better Homes and Gardens
  • BHG Shop
  • New Idea food
  • New Idea
  • Girlfriend
  • That’s Life
  • All Recipes
  • Practical Parenting
  • 7plus
  • 7News
  • Health Engine
  • The West Australian
  • Perth Now
  • Airtasker
  • Society One
  • Starts at 60
© 2021 Are Media PTY LTD
Get more from

Magazine Subscription Offer

FREE Miranda Kerr Mug-SAVE 31%

Shop This Offer
FREE Miranda Kerr Mug