Remember the family of five who handed us their budget and their keys and, six months later, we handed them back a fully renovated house? #house11 #colourmehamptons

We checked back in with mum, Aimee, to see how she and her family have settled in to their ‘new’ home.

How’s it going IN YOUR ‘NEW’ HOME?

Well we’ve been in the home for six months already! We moved back in September 2019, just before the school holidays. We’re all settled in now, we’ve worked out where everything goes and it’s definitely looking more lived in than when you last saw it! The grass took a beating from the bushfires and drought over the summer but it’s starting to grow back now and looks lovely.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST WALKED INSIDE?

I was totally overwhelmed. I remember being asked what I thought and what I liked best and couldn’t even really answer, it was so beautiful and I was just taking it all in. The kids and I hadn’t seen the house at all before the big reveal. I’d driven past and seen the outside but the inside was a total surprise.

Do you have a favourite room?

It’ll always be the kitchen. We spend most of our time in there. I love how I can stand at the sink and look out to the garden, help the kids with their homework at the bench, see what’s going on in the TV room (through the window wall). We ended up putting our TV where that huge artwork was and moving the sofa under the window wall so I can even catch a glimpse of whatever’s on the TV while I’m stacking the dishwasher.

I actually had a girls’ night here the other night and thought we’d use the formal lounge room but we ended up spending the whole night in the kitchen! It’s just got the right amount of seating and it’s beautiful as well as practical. I especially love the stools around the island, they’re so comfy and just the right height, they’re definitely a fave of mine.

And the dining nook - that’s coming in very handy for home-schooling during isolation! We’re all in the kitchen most of the day at the moment.

Was there anything really unexpected in the design?

It was all unexpected! I really had no expectations, it’s all so new and exciting. I knew it would be beautiful but all the details, like the plantation shutters in every room, how different our old pool looks, how you achieved the open plan layout – I couldn’t have imagined any of that. It’s all so practical for daily life as well.

What do the kids think of their rooms?

I can honestly say that each kid individually loves their own room. They all suit them perfectly and they actually spend time playing with toys in their rooms now.

Tell us the truth, have you changed anything?

No! We haven’t needed to, apart from adding TVs (which you girls always knew we were going to do). We’ve put one in the casual lounge room and also in the study and have moved the furniture around to suit the position of the TVs. That’s all we’ve changed!

Is there anything you would have done differently? (we promise we won’t be offended:-)

The only thing I’d love is some more storage in the master bedroom. Our wardrobe was always small and we haven’t gained any more space so I still don’t have enough room for all my shoes (first world problems ;-). Instead of the built-in bench seating, I’d probably have put a big chest of drawers for extra storage because I’m too obsessed with my kitchen to spend time sitting in our bedroom.

Are you living differently to how you did before?

We spend a lot more time in the kitchen than we did before and more time outside as well. The pool is so much more attractive that we actually want to be out there and in it. And we love all the different entertaining zones that you girls created for us, we use those all the time too.

Do you have a favourite thing in the house?

The pendant light over the dining nook! It softens the whole room and just looks beautiful whether it’s on or not. The tiles and tapware in the kids’ bathroom are my favourite in the house. I love sitting in the bath and taking in all the details. And the artwork, that’s all gorgeous. Oh, and the Caesarstone bench in the kitchen… I just love it all!