It wasn’t long after Kristie Simpson had finished building her family’s Dream Home that she announced to the Reno School Community she’d bought an investment property, to try her hand at renovating. Some might be exhausted after designing and managing a new build, but not Kristie! She was “pumped” to jump right into her next project, giving an old cottage a new lease on life.

In stark contrast, to Kristie’s family home (which you might recognise - she’s a Home Beautiful cover girl!), her renovation project was a charming character cottage, desperate for a breath of new life.

Kristie worked her magic to transform the cottage which now has three large bedrooms and two brand new bathrooms, a modern Colorbond extension that houses the living area, dining, kitchen, butler’s pantry and laundry. It’s the next level details which bring the unique character and charm to this home - high-end light fittings, exposed brick walls, herringbone timber flooring, gas strut window (always a good idea!) and the archway which announces the transition between old and new.

We asked Kristie to tell us all about “Penny”, her affectionate name for the cottage.

TELL US HOW YOUR PROJECT CAME ABOUT

This project was the result of a lot of courage to act on a long term dream. I have always wanted to renovate a character home, however as I already built my dream home which I would never leave, it needed to be a financially advantageous project to take the risk. In Perth, our property market is not conducive to flipping houses and quick resales; however mix a little Covid, with a closed border, booming mining industry, a housing shortage and a bit of determination and BOOM - it was the perfect climate to take on a project.

I have always thought that this house would be "fun" to renovate and always wanted to give some love to her; the previous owners had not. Fortunately, the time came for them to sell, and after another buyer turned the home down, the opportunity arose for me to buy it.

HOW DID YOU TRANSFORM THE HOME?

The original dwelling comprised of an original character home, with two additions from previous renovations resulting in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom home with one living area. I knew that removal of the two previous "add ons" would allow me a blank canvas to have a brand new kitchen and open plan living, whilst adding a second bathroom to the original dwelling.

Turning the home into a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom residence was the golden ticket. Many people just cosmetically renovate and don’t get a great outcome; you need to really change the configuration to add value - and bathrooms are the best place to do this in a small amount of space.

“Many buyers want the brand new kitchen and immaculate bathrooms, yet desire the warmth and love that comes from the charm in a character home.”

— Kristie Simpson, Reno School Student

With this, it was possible to have the blank canvas to the new build extension whilst keeping the character warmth and charm to the front of the home. "Penny" as we affectionately named her, was the end result.

The project has been purchased by a beautiful professional couple who have just welcomed their first child after the first open home!

WHY DID YOU JOIN THREE BIRDS RENO SCHOOL?

I wanted to spend more time on myself, to do something I loved and enjoyed and nurture a hobby. Reno School seemed like a great way to enjoy the process of renovating and to have fun along the way completing the course.

A coffee, light reading and brainstorming was my idea of an enjoyable project. I also liked the idea of getting peace of mind that I was on track for our impending project.