Before Rochelle Dare moved into her new home in Tasmania with hubby and toddler, they decided to give the house a re-gig. Starting with the entryway dining room, they spent 10 weeks converting it into a farmhouse style kitchen, fit out with cabinets, an island bench, and a fireplace oven.
WATCH: Tara and Adam makeover a laundry, kitchen and dining area
What did your kitchen look like before the renovation?
The space wasn’t originally a kitchen, it was actually a dining and thoroughfare room that led through to the kitchen and adjoining laundry and sunroom. The original fireplace was covered in paint, lath, and plaster and we decided to move the entry to further down the hallway.
What inspired your renovation?
The house itself, we saw so much potential in it. It had loads of character. We didn’t plan the entire reno before starting, there were a lot of spontaneous decisions along the way, but I wouldn’t change a thing! Initially, we didn’t even plan to put the kitchen where we first planned. It was my husband Wally’s idea to build the stove into the fireplace and we went with it!
Have you done any renovations before?
We renovated our old home. More just aesthetics within the house and smaller projects. However, we did a lot to the backyard at our old property! We built in an entertaining area that took up half of our yard and did all the landscaping ourselves.
What kind of look were you after?
We wanted a farmhouse look that had contemporary touches like the integrated appliances and cabinets to the ceiling to give it a little something special.
What was the biggest challenge?
Definitely restoring the old fireplace for the stove. A lot of head scratching and elbow grease. We needed a brick layer to repair the fireplace, but none were available for months in Tasmania, so we flew my brother-in-law down from Sydney to complete it for us!
Renovation process:
- Demolition.
- Stripped all the lath and plaster in the space.
- Replastered and moved the door.
- Planned the layout/cabinetry.
- Source another larger window second-hand for above the sink.
- Stripped back the fireplace where we discovered it needed more brickwork.
- Sanded the floor.
- Plumbing and electricals ran.
- Re plastered walls and ceiling.
- Installed cabinets and benchtops.
- Installed appliances.
- Finished off plumbing and electrics.
- Added cabinet doors and handles.
- Painted fireplace.
- Installed rangehood in the chimney.
- Tiling.
- Added the upcycled workbench that we turned into our island.
How long did it take you?
Around 10 weeks from memory, along with the rest of the house! It was a big challenge to have it completed before moving in!
Budget Breakdown
We spent roughly 35k on the renovation, including all appliances.
Cabinets and benches – 18k from Polytec
Integrated Appliances (Fridge & dishwasher) – Fisher & Paykel
Stove – 10k including all appliances, stove is from Belling
Plumbing, electrical, and tiling – 5k
The island bench – $100 from Gumtree. We sanded it all back and added some new feet from the tip shop and covered the bottom bench with leftover Tasmanian oak floorboards.
Favourite part of your renovation?
My favourite part was seeing the cabinets installed, this was when I breathed a sigh of relief that it was turning out exactly how I envisioned. And also, getting to the end was great! Finally, being able to use all the new appliances. We have never had a dishwasher and debated about putting one in the new kitchen, but we are so glad we did! The Fisher & Paykel drawer washers are amazing!
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