Pick your jaws up off the floor, do not pass Go, do not collect $200 … do not do anything else before you check out this stunning Gold Coast home, recently updated by one of our very own Reno School students, Tennille Holt. Her and hubby bought the house in 2018 and proceeded to gut the inside of the home (check out the pics at the bottom) and refresh the outside. She lives here with hubby, Myles, plus their ‘fur son’ Hudson and swans Rumi and Sir Carter. This property is hands down ah-mazing!

Tennille, your HOME is BEAUTIFUL! WHAT’S THE background to your project?

My husband and I searched high and low for years for the perfect house that we could renovate to turn into our forever home. We had a very long shopping list and I honestly didn't think we'd ever find it. I actually thought our forever home was a unicorn! We had all but given up on finding the unicorn and then one night a miracle happened, we were browsing online and stumbled across her… and WOW is she EPIC!

Three months after we purchased our home, the year-long renovation began… Phase 1 is done and my biggest achievement is that I survived (only just!). This project really has been a labour of love. I designed a lot of the furniture myself and had it custom made, including many wall and light fittings. My husband Myles and my parents also assisted with a lot of the custom projects - so it's really special to see the finished product and be like "WOW, WE DID THAT"!

Tell us a bit about yourself. Are you a reno expert or complete novice (SURELY NOT)?

Having lived and worked around Europe, the UK, the Middle East, Asia and the US - I've had A LOT of homes in my time. That equals a lot of styling but I’ve never tackled a major renovation… before now!

How did the Reno School help you?

Where do I start?! The Reno School was hugely beneficial. From dealing with trades to creating a clear vision for the project and keeping me sane throughout the entire process. When things were going wrong throughout the reno - I would watch the Three Birds YouTube episodes to keep me motivated!

What is the BEST thing you learnt from the Reno School?

I actually enrolled in the Reno School after my renovation had already commenced - I'm kicking myself about this as Module Two would have been very beneficial to have completed prior to selecting my trades :) If only I had my mitts on Erin's score card to evaluate my builder I would have saved myself a lot of stress and time. Recruiting your dream team is imperative - so if you're thinking about completing a reno, YOU MUST join the Reno School! Don't think twice - just join!

Any gold nuggets you learnt from the course that you’d pass on to other budding renovators?

Be PREPARED! Things are going to go wrong, ideas are not going to go to plan, tradies are going to go rogue and you are going to hit ultimate highs and lows ;) PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE! Have a decent contingency and always have a back-up plan for your back-up plan! The Reno School will assist you with this and all of us in the Reno School facebook group will help you along the way!

IS the exclusive Reno School facebook group ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE?

Yes! The Facebook group is an amazing resource. There are so many people with loads of renovation experience in the group - use them and ask for their advice (I certainly did!). There were many critical points throughout our renovation where the builder outright said things were not possible - I turned to the Facebook group and everyone gave me their advice and experience so it helped ensure my dreams and ideas were implemented - even when the builder said it couldn’t be done!

Reno School comes with loads of templateS and insider guides. Did you use these and were they useful?

The templates were very useful and I used them a lot. As we move onto Phase 2 of our project (the extension) I have all of the templates at the ready!

Did you take up any of the Reno School sponsor offers? How much did you save?

YES! Woodcut! I literally used Woodcut flooring throughout my entire home - we do not have any carpet anywhere, so this offer saved me a lot of $$$$

Would you recommend Reno School to other wannabe renovators?

Absolutely!
Birds, I cannot thank you enough! You kept me sane throughout my entire reno! I honestly never imagined I could tackle such a major renovation and the Reno School helped me in so many ways! THANK YOU! Now we’re onto Phase 2...the extension...watch this space! I’d love you to follow my reno journey at @wanderlustmuse and @wanderlustmusehome