Add. Add. Add. Bigger is better, right?
Not always, no.
The old saying is true - it’s not the size, but the way you use it.
“We removed more than we actually added, which is probably unheard of with most renovations,” Adore Home Magazine editor and owner Loni tells Place Journal.
“I’m a big believer in working with the space you’ve got. You can have a functional home that isn’t a McMansion!”
What did you think we were talking about?
Because what we are talking about is Loni and partner Mark’s transformation of Higlett House, a dingy 1960s mid-century beach shack, into a Palm Springs-inspired beauty.
Dingy might be understating it.
On a quest to find a fixer-upper, the couple came across the property just one street over from their previous residence.
On first inspection, they walked out hoping there was something better.
“After a fruitless search, we ended up coming back to this house a couple of months later,” Loni recalls.
“There were lots of things to like about it, including the tall ceilings and beautiful original windows, but there was also a lot not to love.
“The asbestos walls, the vinyl cladding covering the entire home, it’s very dated nature inside.”
Sounds like more of a knockdown than a fixer-upper.
And in a lot of cases, it would’ve been.
Thankfully, Loni and Mark could see just enough of the potential.
“You don’t see many mid-century modern shacks anymore,” Loni says.
“Most people just knock them down, which is a shame, as they most definitely can be saved.”
Saved might also be understating what they’ve done here.
In two stages over two years, the pair created something out of a magazine – literally.
Again, without adding considerably.
Apart from building in under the roof line at the front where the old, unusable carport was, and extending the pitched roof out the back, they worked within the house’s original footprint.
To bring this home to life, they stripped everything back – starting with the exterior.
The asbestos and vinyl panelling over the top was removed, and James Hardie Linea weatherboard and Axon cladding added in its place.
The result is a striking façade, and one that flows through the rest of the 1960s beach house renovation, with VJ boards and Groove Lining used inside and out.
But as impressive as it is, the façade isn’t even the external hero in this story.
“Nothing says Palm Springs like breeze blocks,” Loni says.
And, she’s right.
Ignoring the fact this place is a five-minute walk from what some say is the best swimming beach closest to Brisbane’s CBD, it feels like you could be somewhere on the edge of the Sonoran Desert in southern California.
I mean, the front yard even has its own cactus garden.
Those breeze blocks act as both a feature and a privacy screen in amongst a very specific and well-thought-out landscaping job.
And of course, a very Palm Springs coloured front door – Taubmans Silver Leaf, if you are taking notes.
“Seeing it come to life was amazing, and we had lots of lovely compliments from people in the neighbourhood walking past,” Loni says.
“Our front garden is definitely my favourite part of the home. That’s probably the space I’m most proud of.
“We poured a lot of time, sweat and tears into it and couldn’t be more proud of how it’s looking.”
Who was crying?
Loni laughs, “There were plenty of arguments, mainly over landscaping”.
“That’s the one thing both me and my partner are very passionate about,” she continues.
“We would argue over plant selection and placement, which obviously is a trivial type of thing to argue over. I think if anything it just shows how passionate we are.”
And that passion reverberates out the back, too.
They might have cleared everything except for the old lemon tree, but, importantly, Loni and Mark used the concrete slab of the old shed to house a fire put and a rendered brick bench seat.
There’s more cacti, too.
This time, a whole pop-up shop.
Well, sort of - the coastal cabin from SheShed acts as Loni’s home office most of the time.
The old laundry, which just didn’t fit with any of the house’s original architecture, went and the decision “changed the entire shape of the back of the house”.
A removal of an internal wall had a similar effect on the new, open living and dining area – one which highlights the home’s clean, modern aesthetic.
There’s connection throughout now. Small additions like sliding stacker doors improving not only the natural light, but the function and flow of the home.
“They’ve created a massive difference in how we live in the space now. It feels so much more inviting to just walk through those doors on to our deck,” Loni says.
“We are proud of the fact that we kept the home and renovated it, rather than demolish it.
“We are absolutely loving the home, and hope the future buyers do too.”
Let me call my broker.
Words: Jordan Pinto
Photography: Coastpark Creative
LONI AND MARK'S PLACE
Built: 1960
Land: 425m2
Bed: 3
Bath: 3
WHAT THEIR PLACE TAUGHT THEM
Be budget prepared.
Start with a healthy budget if you want to do a full house renovation. A contingency of 10% is a good idea as there are always hidden surprises in older homes.
But have a plan B.
Be ready to scale down your grand ideas – have a plan B in place if the renovation funds deplete faster than expected. We saved a fair bit of money on our kitchen cabinetry by getting a few quotes and discussing with them how to reduce the cost by tweaking the design.
Know who you're working with.
It’s a good idea also to ask for testimonials from the builder you plan on hiring.
Get your hands dirty.
Tackle things like landscaping and painting yourself if you want to save some dollars.
Scroll through to see what their place looked like before