Sharon and Kwan purchased their 1930s Pymble home with the aim to renovate. The home had good bones but features such as an external laundry and narrow garage meant that the home needed an upgrade for modern family living. More than anything, they wanted a functional home for their small family and the ability to entertain friends and family.
Despite always having the intention to renovate their home, Sharon and Kwan knew that it was a big project that wasn’t going to be easy.
“You would have to be mad not to be nervous. It was a big renovation with a lot of moving parts and a lot that could go wrong. A lot of people needed to be involved and get along for it to be successful.”
Sharon and Kwan purchased their 1930s Pymble home with the aim to renovate. The home had good bones but features such as an external laundry and narrow garage meant that the home needed an upgrade for modern family living. More than anything, they wanted a functional home for their small family and the ability to entertain friends and family.
Despite always having the intention to renovate their home, Sharon and Kwan knew that it was a big project that wasn’t going to be easy.
“You would have to be mad not to be nervous. It was a big renovation with a lot of moving parts and a lot that could go wrong. A lot of people needed to be involved and get along for it to be successful.”
Playoust Churcher was an obvious choice for Sharon and Kwan. They came recommended from past clients and an interior designer who had worked with them previously. They were confident that the team had the skills to produce the home they envisioned in terms of quality and style.
“It was reassuring to know they had a lot of experience and we saw that when we went and visited a number of the homes they had designed in the past. We spoke to previous clients and they all tended to get along well with them.”
Playoust Churcher was an obvious choice for Sharon and Kwan. They came recommended from past clients and an interior designer who had worked with them previously. They were confident that the team had the skills to produce the home they envisioned in terms of quality and style.
“It was reassuring to know they had a lot of experience and we saw that when we went and visited a number of the homes they had designed in the past. We spoke to previous clients and they all tended to get along well with them.”
Brett Churcher and John Hooghuis had their initial visit with Sharon and Kwan at the home. The renovation involved removing the roof, leaving some brickwork and internal structure and an extension to the rear, as well as adding a second floor.
Utilising John’s design expertise and Brett as a sounding board, they tweaked the concepts to create the perfect design for their dream home.
Sharon and Kwan involved themselves quite heavily in the design process.
“We spent a fair amount of time in terms of getting things right with Brett and John. It was probably more self inflicted as Kwan wanted to be really involved in the process. But it was not a bad thing, we actually enjoyed working alongside the team.”
Brett Churcher and John Hooghuis had their initial visit with Sharon and Kwan at the home. The renovation involved removing the roof, leaving some brickwork and internal structure and an extension to the rear, as well as adding a second floor.
Utilising John’s design expertise and Brett as a sounding board, they tweaked the concepts to create the perfect design for their dream home.
Sharon and Kwan involved themselves quite heavily in the design process.
“We spent a fair amount of time in terms of getting things right with Brett and John. It was probably more self inflicted as Kwan wanted to be really involved in the process. But it was not a bad thing, we actually enjoyed working alongside the team.”
Ken van Brandwijk stepped in to lead the project from the DA Compliance stage through the tender process and concept management, with input from Brett and John along the way.
Sharon and Kwan found the process of moving between Playoust Churcher team members to be seamless.
“We hadn’t met Ken throughout the design process so we didn’t know how he worked. He stepped in and took over really well. He was easy going, relaxed and just got things done.”
Throughout the build process, Ken had fortnightly site meetings with the builders. He was the main contact and liaison with the building team.
Ken van Brandwijk stepped in to lead the project from the DA Compliance stage through the tender process and concept management, with input from Brett and John along the way.
Sharon and Kwan found the process of moving between Playoust Churcher team members to be seamless.
“We hadn’t met Ken throughout the design process so we didn’t know how he worked. He stepped in and took over really well. He was easy going, relaxed and just got things done.”
Throughout the build process, Ken had fortnightly site meetings with the builders. He was the main contact and liaison with the building team.
“They were timely with everything they did. We didn’t have to sit around waiting for things in general. Everyone in the team got along well with the builder. They all worked well together and if there were any issues or queries everyone brought their opinions to the table and sorted things out amicably.”
In such a big project, the whole team of architects, builders and other consultants coming together to make the project happen is vital to a successful outcome.
“We have heard of people who have had terrible problems during a home reno. We had little things here and there but there were no significant roadblocks.”
“They were timely with everything they did. We didn’t have to sit around waiting for things in general. Everyone in the team got along well with the builder. They all worked well together and if there were any issues or queries everyone brought their opinions to the table and sorted things out amicably.”
In such a big project, the whole team of architects, builders and other consultants coming together to make the project happen is vital to a successful outcome.
“We have heard of people who have had terrible problems during a home reno. We had little things here and there but there were no significant roadblocks.”
The home had a complete replan of the ground floor, including a separate living zone as well as a new open plan kitchen, meals and family room. This space opens out onto a large terrace overlooking the rear yard and new pool, which the Playoust Churcher team also designed. A new first floor was added with four bedrooms and the existing lower ground floor adjusted to make way for a larger double garage with internal access as well as a games room.
The result for Sharon and Kwan is a home that was designed with their family in mind. They now regularly entertain big crowds and love the convenience of their new home for modern family living.
The home had a complete replan of the ground floor, including a separate living zone as well as a new open plan kitchen, meals and family room. This space opens out onto a large terrace overlooking the rear yard and new pool, which the Playoust Churcher team also designed. A new first floor was added with four bedrooms and the existing lower ground floor adjusted to make way for a larger double garage with internal access as well as a games room.
The result for Sharon and Kwan is a home that was designed with their family in mind. They now regularly entertain big crowds and love the convenience of their new home for modern family living.
Sharon and Kwan purchased their 1930s Pymble entertainer home with the aim to renovate. The home had good bones but features such as an external laundry and narrow garage meant that the home needed an upgrade for modern family living.
What used to be a dark, poorly maintained semi-detached home in a beautiful suburb, is now a light-filled haven with space for hours of entertainment. Read more about this home renovation in Manly.
Read MoreLisa is a keen gardener. In fact her passion was so great that she left her career in corporate insolvency to move into landscape design. So when she renovated her 6500m2 estate in St Ives, she started with the garden.
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