2 1

It was the green leafy outlook from an elevated position that drew Sarah and Trent Dunlop to their home in Brisbane’s Red Hill in 2000. The inner-city suburb is close to the CBD yet has a quiet community feel and off ers cosmopolitan shopping and dining, as well as bike tracks and pathways through parkland. The Dunlops bought their house when Sarah was pregnant with their first child and, nearly 12 years later, they’ve undertaken a stunning renovation to better suit their needs. A typical old Queenslander, the 1930s house was the perfect blank canvas for Sarah’s renovation dreams and is home to the couple and their two children, Abigail, nine, and Eliza, six.

4 3

Sarah was determined to make the most of their pristine positioning and what started as a small renovation to accommodate their growing family quickly turned into a complete overhaul. Overseeing the process, she took on the role of project manager and designed both the layout and interiors. “I took some time off work,” Sarah explains. “I have a background in fashion design so designing is what I love doing.” She then worked with local renovator Ross Dickson to bring her plans to life.

6 7 - Copy

5

The renovation was planned around the vintage style of the original house and focused on elements of  functionality. The old house was lifted to make way for a new level downstairs, which features three bedrooms, a lounge and a kitchen area designed to make the most of the entertaining space. “It was originally going to be a kitchenette,” Sarah says, “but when you’re entertaining down there so often, you may as well have a dishwasher. So now it’s turned into a full second kitchen.” The kitchen overlooks the pool and leafy green backyard, which is also reflected throughout the house in windows and mirrors.

9

It was very important to Sarah to incorporate as much of the outdoors as possible and to open up their spaces with natural light. “We’ve really tried to optimise the sense of light and space and integrate the outdoors with the indoors,” she says. “We also used shutters that are sympathetic to the age of the original house to maintain a sense of unity between the new and the old and used café-style frosted windows to allow for natural light.” They sourced all of their lighting through Les Salles in  Paddington and had dimmer switches fitted for each one so that they could control the light within the house.

10 8

This story was originally published in Australian Country issue 15.4. Don’t miss out on our stories and subscribe to the magazine here.

Click here for more home and interior stories.

Words Paula Bridges
Photography John Downs
Styling Tahn Scoon

 

More Like This

Douglas Blain

The Extraordinary Journey of Douglas Blain: Preserving the Past with Passion

Douglas Blain’s remarkable life has been devoted to rescuing old buildings and turning them into boutique hotels.

Outback Aussie Tours

Exploring Queensland’s Heartland with Outback Aussie Tours

Alan and Sue Smith, owners of Outback Aussie Tours have been showing Australian Country around the paddocks of Rosebank station.

Montville Mist Springwater

The Collins’ Montville Mist Springwater Success

Alli and Peter Collins juggle raising a family and running, Montville Mist Springwater from their home in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Paper Pocket Australiana

Our Top 10 Favourite Calendars and Diaries to Kick Start Your 2024

Discover Australia’s favourite range of 2024 Calendars and Diaries from Paper Pocket. Keep track of your year, organise your appointments, plan your […]

Date & Ginger Bundt Cake

Date & Ginger Bundt Cake Recipe

This date and ginger bundt cake is an adaptation of my mum’s much-loved sticky date pudding recipe.

Visitors Paradise Home

Turning a 1929 Home into a Visitors Paradise

Aussie wildlife and mushroom foragers are among the many visitors to Sue and Tony Johnson’s paradise home in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills.

Heritage Home Renovation

A Heritage Home Renovation Back to the Origins

After almost three decades of renovations, Darren and Sue Turner have returned their 111-year-old home to what it once was.

Kiama

Seduced by Simplicity: A Kiama Transformation

Michael and Michele Bell turned a Kiama beach house from the sixties into a stunning seaside home that’s too good to leave.

Follow Us on Instagram