10 Years of Renovation: How a Family Updated an Old House on Their Own

Owners of this cottage in Melbourne's suburbs—Peter and Helen, with their son Hudson and two dogs Jeffrey and Byron—have been gradually transforming their dream home for the past ten years, and they're doing quite well.

The house spans two floors and three levels, with the back wall replaced by panoramic glass overlooking a pool. Peter and Helen chose not to alter the non-traditional layout but instead made it a distinctive feature of their home.

The first floor includes the dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and guest room. On the second floor of the first level are the living room and the owners' bedroom. The study and Hudson's bedroom are located on the second level.

Peter and Helen's family business involves construction. They are confident that their house is the best project they’ve ever worked on.

The idea of purchasing a new home came to them during a vacation after an exhausting school year.

At the time, they lived in another area, and every day they had to drive 45 minutes each way to take Hudson to school. It was, to say the least, tiring.

After the vacation, Helen started searching for a new place to live and found exactly what she wanted. When the future owners visited, opinions were divided. The dilapidated facade and outdated interior made Peter want to leave quickly, but Helen had a different vision.

I grabbed his hand and said: "Don't you see what this could become?"

Helen couldn't take her eyes off the high cedar panel ceilings and the spacious interior. She convinced her husband to buy the house, and they moved in 30 days later.

During the renovation, the couple divided responsibilities: Peter handled the house's exterior and facade, while Helen focused on space zoning and interior design. For the next six months, the family lived in their old house while planning what needed to be done. Then, over the next ten years, they slowly worked on making it perfect—after work, on weekends, and even during Christmas holidays.

The interior features many decorative elements that set the tone. To define the spaces, they used color—white and black tones dividing the space into vertical and horizontal lines.

The kitchen remained in its original form and is still waiting for its update. The only change was that Helen painted the upper shelf and the lower part of the bar counter in black to contrast with the white, creating a sense of space and brightness. By the way, updating the kitchen is still the family's main topic of discussion.

The only thing we both definitely want is to make the kitchen bigger.

The bar counter doubles as a work surface and a curtain hiding the dishwasher, microwave, and storage space.

Thanks to the panoramic windows in the living room, there is plenty of light. One wall was chosen as an accent and decorated with a collection of family photos and meaningful gifts (they even call it the "love collection"). Next to it is a fireplace that brings the whole family together during cool evenings.

The bedroom followed the same color palette: black and white tones complemented with warm wood tones. Dark walls helped define the space, and the dark shades on vertical surfaces don’t look gloomy.

The paintings above the bed were drawn by our son when he was six years old.

Hudson’s bedroom is furnished according to the preferences and tastes of this 16-year-old teenager. Minimal furniture and decor, maximum air and open space.

The bathroom, like the kitchen, remains untouched. It also features two primary colors—white and black—with a green fern adding freshness to the interior.