Look up Spencer Johnson’s name and you’ll read all about a South Australian's meteoric rise from greenskeeper to a million-dollar Indian Premier League cricket deal in less than two years.
What those stories don’t tell you about is the fall.
“Spencer and his dad were working on the front façade standing on a plank, balancing a bit too high between two very dodgy ladders,” fiancée Sarah tells Place Journal.
“One of the ladders gave in and the two of them flipped off onto the front verandah.”
Crickets…
Don’t worry, both lived to tell the tale, dad kept helping, Sarah eventually stopped laughing and Spencer, indeed, played cricket again.
But there was one casualty.
“We have all decided not to pick up a paint brush ever again after this project,” Sarah says - with an emphasis on ever.
A comment anyone who has every painted their own house can relate to.
The challenges of Sarah and Spencer Johnson's first home renovation are equally as relatable.
This part of the story starts back a few years earlier, when the couple – together since they were teenagers – bought their first home.
It wasn’t any old home, either.
Well, it was old – it was built in the early 1900s.
But it was different.
There were red walls, interesting – we’re being nice - wallpaper and a lot of dark timber furnishings.
The heritage charm was there, too, and they saw the potential even through some of the extravagant colour choices.
But, while they didn’t underestimate the extent of the transformation needed, they did underestimate the work that it would take.
“It was a real rollercoaster of emotions,” Sarah, a Graduate of Architecture and interior designer, admits.
“We felt overwhelmed at times with how much work we had undertaken and considered whether it was the right decision purchasing a house which needed so much intervention.
“It was a challenging start, and we felt a little in over our heads with the design, planning, documentation, and DIY elements but Belroc Homes did a wonderful job and made the actual building process such a smooth one.
“It was such a learning experience from all perspectives… all the small wins along the way and the milestones of the renovation sparked new motivation every time.
“The highs were always worth the lows.”
The DIY elements, which started as soon as they got the keys, included painting and preparation, carpet removal, addressing the “crazy wallpaper” situation, updating the window treatments and, of course, the former greenskeeper's landscaping work.
“Teamwork is the key,” Sarah adds.
“Spence and I are notorious for starting a job and getting distracted halfway through, more hands-on deck absolutely helps you finish what you started and stay focused.
“We did most of the original house ourselves or with the help of family and friends.
“The renovation started out as a project for the two of us and ended up being such a collaborative effort.”
Just don’t mention those old ladders.
With the process of bringing the front part of the maisonette back to life in full swing, it was time for the damaged lean-to out the back, with hardly any natural light and a low raked ceiling, to come down.
In its place – in the same footprint – is where they really made this place their own.
“We wanted to restore the beautiful bones of the original portion of the house and bring our own fresh approach to the previous extension at the back,” Sarah says of their initial vision.
“It was necessary to make the home liveable but was also an opportunity to give the house a new life.
“It had been well loved for so many years but was ready for a new life.”
A new – significantly larger – kitchen, complete with a window bench seat, is the hero of the addition and it was designed “with one particularly important item in mind”.
The coffee machine.
Obviously.
“We started with where we wanted our little coffee nook to go and worked backwards from there,” Sarah recalls.
“The remainder of the kitchen is extremely practical and utilises the space we have through maximised storage and bench space.
“Knowing this would be one of the most utilised rooms in the house, we wanted to incorporate some special materials in natural stone and feature joinery hardware.”
Repurposing the old kitchen window as a door that leads into a mudroom, one that acts as a side entry from the carport, is another example of practicality, with the new entry point connecting the newest part of the house with the existing driveway.
While Sarah did, indeed, maximise the small space, the design of the place is a minimal one.
“Knowing this was not going to be our forever home we had a strong consideration for the next owners and wanted to keep the palette quite neutral and classic,” she says.
“Knowing the power of curation and soft overlays, we also wanted to select materials which acted as the perfect canvas.
“My style is always shifting as I grow as a designer but we both love the classic approach of less is more and appreciate natural materials.”
The wild colours are long gone – thankfully – but the heritage remains.
There’s separation, but there’s also connection, to the existing home.
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“We wanted the passageway link to feel like a considered transition and so we retained the existing timber floorboards and pressed metal ceiling,” Sarah explains.
“Although subtle, we love the element of surprise when you look up to the 3.3m high ceiling in this corridor and see the beautiful detailing above.
“Our place feels like the perfect mix of a house which has a recognised long, interesting history and a house which has been reimagined into a series of fresh comfortable spaces suitable for us and our lifestyle.
“We also love that the house embodies the challenges of a first renovation with its quirks and unfinished elements.
“It is not perfect and will never really be complete in our eyes - you are always your harshest critic.
“But it felt like home instantly and we are proud of that.”
And they should be.
You, too, Dad.
Words: Jordan Pinto
Editorial styling/curation: Ashleigh Pinto
Photography: Shannon Wark for Place Journal
SARAH AND SPENCER'S PLACE
Land: 448m2
Bed: 2
Bath: 1.5
Builder: Belroc Homes
WHAT THEIR PLACE TAUGHT THEM
Approach the renovation as holistically as possible.
The more forgotten about elements of landscaping, furniture and window treatments complete a home and should be considered as equally as the more structured elements in your budget and design process. Refine the architecture and interior design with the overlay of these strongly in mind to create an entire home which feels well connected and thoughtful. If budget is a concern, prioritise! Particularly if you are starting to feel the renovation excitement take over at the beginning of the process. It can be easy to start working on the elements which are not necessarily the most important just because they are easy to tackle. The last thing you want is to chew up your time and resources on things which could be left to much later down the track.
Do not rush the important decisions.
Something we learnt slowly is that sometimes it is best to take a step back to think about the problem in front of you and how it should best be resolved, rather than what the quicker and cheaper option may be. Listen to your trades and balance their advice with what you really envisioned.
Click through to see what their place looked like before
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