House 12: Q&A with Three Birds Renovations

There's nothing we love more than a good home renovation - and when it comes to transforming a home from drab to fab, it's safe to say that few do it quite as well as Three Birds Renovations.

We recently collaborated with the team for their House 12 project: a modern update to a cottage in Windsor, which is home to mums Sarah and Cath, and their two sons Chaise and Addison. Working their design magic, Three Birds turned this dated cottage into a stunning home that, without a doubt, has the X Factor. 

We sat down with Three Birds to talk about the process of transforming this tiny cottage into a stunning contemporary home, and the team's top tips for interior design. Read the interview below, or watch the reveal in this video.

1) The transformation of Sarah and Cath's humble Windsor Cottage into a gorgeous Contemporary Cottage is nothing short of incredible. We know there were over 800 applications for this collab - tell us a bit about this cottage that made it the winner, and are these principles perhaps applicable for anyone looking to buy a 'reno'?

One of the key factors for House 12 was that we could complete the renovation in just 8 weeks! We had a tiny window of time to squeeze it in between other projects, hence its affectionate nickname, our “Windsor wedgie.”

This cute workers’ cottage had great bones, and didn’t need any major structural work to make it feel like it had an entire transformation. Apart from moving a few walls to improve the layout, much of the work was actually cosmetic.

2) As if the 8-week renovation timeline wasn't stressful enough, the constant threat of 'tools down' due to the global pandemic must have really kept the team on their toes. We would love to hear some top renovating tips you can share on how the team managed to transform this cottage within the timeframe, and what to plan for and anticipate when undertaking a big project like this with a tight deadline.

It all comes down to the planning! Erin runs a tight ship when it comes to budgeting and project managing our all our projects. Our top tips would be:

• Anticipate issues in advance – if you see red flags ahead, start pre-empting solutions or alternatives to ensure you’re ready to deal with an issue, should it arise.
• Contingency budget – going into a reno without a line called ‘contingency’ in your budget is setting yourself up for a budget blowout. For a small cosmetic reno, we suggest adding 10% of the overall budget as your contingency spend. If you’re doing a larger, longer reno, the opportunity for surprises and costs to blow out increases so you should consider a 30% contingency for a larger safety net.
• Be realistic with your timeline and don’t bite off more than you can chew!

3) We know many of our LL audience follow the Three Birds team religiously. For those that might be newcomers to House 12, can you share info on the interior design direction that led to selecting key pieces from Lounge Lovers like the Tara Sideboard and the Cuba Leather Woven Bench in the entranceway?

House 12 was a cute little workers’ cottage in an historic town, so we wanted to pay homage to its roots, while creating a more contemporary home for our modern family. Our vision board for our #contemporarycottage includes lots of natural tones, and oozes texture, curves and warmth.

Bonnie’s mad for rattan and so the Tara sideboard, with its rattan inserts, was top of her list of furniture items for the lounge room, to bring warmth and texture to the room. Similarly, the woven leather of the Cuba bench with the gorgeous nude and timber tones suit this home perfectly.

4) Lana said the lounge room is one of her favourite rooms of the whole house! And one of her favourite Three Birds lounge rooms EVER! We love the fact you've styled the Bronte bench seat behind the sofa, which is something most of us might not have thought of. Did you come up with this idea while furniture shopping or do you decide on feature looks before you hit the shops, or jump online to purchase?

The Bronte bench seat sits right where the diving wall between the lounge room and hallway used to be. We removed the wall to create an open-plan floor plan and the Bronte bench works beautifully as a divider between the walk way and the lounge furniture. It’s a great spot to drop your keys and handbag as you come in the door, or to perch and put your shoes on as you’re going out.

5) We love a sideboard, and our Tara rattan sideboard is extra special as it contains hidden storage aplenty. We think you've nailed the styling in this image especially - it's transformed it into a piece of art! What are the Three Birds tips for styling a sideboard?

Styling is a really personal and intuitive thing. No two people will style a room, or a side board, exactly the same way – and that’s a good thing. We mix it up each time but some things we usually include when styling a sideboard are:

• A large mirror or artwork on the wall behind - at eye level, but it doesn’t always have to be centred on a wall. There’s nothing like a big of asymmetrical placement to add interest!
• Create height with a tall vase and some gorgeous foliage.
• Books, candles and beautiful ceramics are always a winner.

6) The barstools styled at the breakfast bar and deck area really make a statement, and bring the area to life. What selling points do you look for when selecting stools and chairs, as they can be a tricky purchase for some?

Before we fall in love with the look of bar stool, we try to be practical and remember to check the dimensions. There’s nothing worse than a stool that’s too high (or too low) for your benchtop. And then we work out how many we can fit along the benchtop – 60cm is usually good distance per setting, although stools with backs and arms may need a little more space.

The barstools were perfect for this outdoor servery as sticky fingers wipe off effortlessly and the minimalistic design means they’re easy to move out of the weather, when necessary.

Want to recreate this look in your home? Shop these items and more in our Sanctuary collection.