New Outlook

Featured Renovations: Glen Waverley

'Journey of a Lifetime': How Sally Discovered The Renovator Within

Rosemount are the highest quality anybody is likely to find in this field. They have a level of integrity that is sadly lacking in many businesses, especially from what I understand in the renovation sector.

Sally Stafford, Glen Waverley

Her home has been transformed, but the most positive change Sally Stafford sees today is in herself.

Not that long ago Sally had little interest in updating and invigorating the space around her. She only became a first-time renovator as her 70th birthday approached; and even then one of the key priorities was to enhance the value of her home.

Fast forward to now, and Sally beams about a revamped kitchen, bathroom, ensuite, laundry and powder room. She is currently working on other parts of the house - and has big plans for the exterior.

To say this once reluctant renovator has a whole new outlook on her personal surroundings - and how they make her feel - would be an understatement.

For the first time, the beauty that she has long appreciated in museums or architecture is revealing itself in her home.

“I discovered that there's a great deal of satisfaction and pleasure to be had in genuinely looking at every aspect of the place where you live and spend a great deal of your time,” she says.

“It is not only a reflection of you, but also a place for other people where they are comfortable.

“And that had never occurred to me.”

Sally describes being intimately involved in the Glen Waverley renovation as the “journey of a lifetime.”

I am amazed at myself, actually - I didn't know that I had that in me. There were so many itty bitty decisions and I usually hate that kind of stuff. At work I have to pay great attention to detail in what I write, and documents I analyse, and advice I give, or I’m in big trouble. So in my house I’ve just never wanted to deal with that sort of thing.

SALLY

The initial plan to sell is on hold. Sally wants to enjoy the beautiful new space she has created.

“I have definite views on what I like and what I do not like, but had very few on what I wanted to live with, and look at, in my own house,” she says.

“That has all changed. I now have a perfect kitchen, ensuite, laundry and main bathroom, with a bathtub that is the stuff of people's dreams.

“It’s fabulous.”

You can see more client stories like Sally's at the bottom of the page.

Check out more renovation photos to get inspiration for your own project.

A Design on Life

Sally Stafford

Sally, who is from Seattle in the USA, has lived in Melbourne for almost 40 years, and in her current home since 2005.

She decided to finally take the renovation plunge after her grown-up children “fled the nest and education costs evaporated”.

“I’ve been in this house for almost 20 years and it was comfortable and utilitarian, but there really wasn’t any statement or reflection of me,” she says.

“So I had thought, before I sell the house I’m going to turn it into a really beautiful place that I love.”

On the recommendation of a friend, she approached Rosemount with the intention of having little involvement in the design or renovation process.

“I wanted to give this job to someone and I wanted them to just take it from there,” she says. “I didn’t want to deal with it.”

But meeting Rosemount’s designer, Chantel Myers, sparked an evolution from being hands-off to becoming intimately involved with every aspect of this multi-room makeover.

“I’m not a very visual person and I don’t think of myself as artistic, and even though I love beautiful things and think I have impeccable taste, I’ve never exercised that on an interior,” she says.

Sally told Chantel she didn’t want “black and white and grey”, the kind of colours she wears in her role as a consultant in the higher education sector.

Chantel noticed warmer tones throughout the home Sally shares with her French bulldog, Belle. There was a subtle pink in the lattice of two woven Fenton kitchen chairs, pink quartz in a living room coffee table and similar tones in linen Roman shades.

She suggested incorporating the same tones in the new space.

From there, the pair worked together on a colour scheme and design that Sally loves.

Chantel was delightful. She’s quite mercurial and smart as a whip and she saw things I didn’t. She encouraged me to think about things I’d never considered before, and to be demanding about it. And I’m grateful she did.

SALLY

Key Renovation Features

KITCHEN:

Before renovating, Sally had a pine galley-style kitchen she describes as “dark, cramped and awkward to be in.”

“The shelving space was tiny and you didn’t really have the space to cook in,” she says.

The renovated space - with a spacious Caesarstone Alterra Blanca topped island bench - opens the kitchen up into the larger living space.

Sally loves how the muted Polytec thermolaminated cabinets - finished in Chateau Oak Ravine - blend with a hybrid Australian Ash floor.

But the standout feature is the Moroccan Zellige tiled splashback, suggested by Chantel and sourced from Tiles of Ezra in Elsternwick.

“These tiles are not all the same thickness, somewhat asymmetrical and, frankly, messy,” says Sally. “They took incredible skill to place because they don’t match.

“But I absolutely love them. They’re subtly and beautifully coloured, have a lustrous quality and warm the room.”

There are more tiles on the back of the island bench, from Beaumont Tiles.

“If you’re looking for a little bit of imperfection in a small area, as I was, both sets of tiles are just fantastic.”

Sally’s new kitchen is now her favourite room.

They say form follows function, and that is true, but often you want something else as well - and in this case that is beauty. The kitchen is light, open and very visually appealing - partly because the tiles are stunning and the appliances so well chosen.

SALLY

BATHROOM:

Tiles inform the look and feel of the renovated main bathroom.

Sally was sceptical at first, but happy she accepted our suggestion to go for larger 600mm floor tiles that extend to the ceiling on three of the four walls.

“It’s quite a small space, and I asked for advice on how to enhance that space, and Chantel and builders said the 600mm tiles would make the room seem larger,” she says.

“That’s definitely how it feels. I think it’s sensible to seriously consider advice when it’s being given by someone who has vast experience.”

The pink fish tail tiles around the partly frosted window, and in front of the freestanding Aqua Plus bath, create a stunning feature wall.

In most bathrooms you might have a shower, put your make-up on and go. There are hardly any times in your life when you walk into a bathroom that is completely harmonious and tranquil and beautiful; a place where you really don't mind the idea of lingering and you actually give some consideration to drawing a bath and having a glass of wine or reading a chapter of that fabulous novel while you’re bathing. It’s a little bit of a refuge from the chaos, vicissitudes and general cacophony of modern life, and it’s not very often you get that in a bathroom.

SALLY

Working with Rosemount

A friend recommended Rosemount to Sally, who was impressed by the professionalism and integrity of everyone associated with the company. She was struck by the meticulous workmanship, and by the solution-oriented response whenever issues arose.

“I was not interested in messing around and having to orchestrate lots of different craftsmen and tradies,” she says.

“I didn’t have to worry about the electricians, plumbers, builders or cabinet makers, because all of these things were handled by Rosemount.”

Some homeowners are reluctant to allow tradespeople in their homes unattended, but Sally’s mind was quickly put at ease.

“I was absolutely confident in every person who came in here and I was very confident about handing them the keys,” she says.

“Those guys would clean up after themselves obsessively before they went home every night, knowing full well that the next day they were going to walk in and make a big mess again.”

Conclusion

Sally’s multi-room renovation of her kitchen, main bathroom, ensuite, laundry and powder room has transformed her home - as well as her outlook on renovating itself, and her experience of her own lived space.

Rosemount partnered with her on that revelatory journey, offering advice and peace of mind, and removing the inconvenience and uncertainty that can accompany such complex projects.

Before renovating Sally had intended to sell her home of almost 20 years. Now those plans are on hold as she enjoys her new surroundings.

I now have a perfect kitchen, ensuite, laundry and main bathroom, with a bathtub that is the stuff of people's dreams. It’s fabulous.