My Houzz: The Stylish Home Behind a White Picket Fence
A family finds much to love about their home near Melbourne, Australia
Have you ever heard the saying “There’s a cup for every saucer”? This was definitely the case for Krissy Brown and her husband, Pete Whitehead, when they bought their home in a Melbourne, Australia, suburb. To their surprise, they were the only bidders at auction for the house, which they had planned to renovate and flip. But 12 years later, they’re still loving their family home in the suburbs.
The couple had already bought and sold three homes before purchasing this one, and their intention was to renovate and flip this one too, but once they settled in, the house cast them under its spell.
Every room needed work, Brown says. “At the time of moving in, I was three months’ pregnant, as well as already having a 14-month-old son, so in my mind, I had six months to finish the renovation!” She shudders at the memory.
“We had renovated a few houses prior to this one, so the harsh reality of the cost of renovating was something we were accustomed to,” Brown says. “We learned from previous renovations that you get what you pay for in terms of trades and finishes. Having said that, there’s definitely merit in getting two to three quotes, but a good reputation and workmanship is worth paying a little extra for.”
Off the main hallway at the front of the house are the children’s rooms, followed by the bathroom, office and master bedroom, with walk-through closet and en suite. Next in line is a family room, then the open-plan kitchen, dining and living area.
“We had renovated a few houses prior to this one, so the harsh reality of the cost of renovating was something we were accustomed to,” Brown says. “We learned from previous renovations that you get what you pay for in terms of trades and finishes. Having said that, there’s definitely merit in getting two to three quotes, but a good reputation and workmanship is worth paying a little extra for.”
Off the main hallway at the front of the house are the children’s rooms, followed by the bathroom, office and master bedroom, with walk-through closet and en suite. Next in line is a family room, then the open-plan kitchen, dining and living area.
The original decor was true ’80s style — apricot carpet, pink walls and green trim. “We repainted the walls inside and out, recarpeted the bedrooms, ripped up and relaid all new [wood] floors and then decorated,” Brown says. “It was epic, and we lived through the whole renovation with me being pregnant and having an active toddler. I don’t think a day went by when there wasn’t a tradesman in the house.”
Wall paint: Natural White by Dulux; pendant lights: Muuto
Wall paint: Natural White by Dulux; pendant lights: Muuto
Brown bought the beautiful Bentwood dining chairs as a gift to herself after she successfully finished up her interior design business to concentrate on her new retail endeavor. “I had admired them for such a long time, but I didn’t buy them when the kids were younger as they would have just ruined them,” she says. “They’ve made a huge difference.”
Brown’s design aesthetic is simple, clean and light. A crisp palette of white and wood tones, combined with natural textures, gives the home a calm, open and relaxed feel.
Sliding glass doors stretching the full length of one wall were added to the back of the house, fostering more indoor-outdoor living during warmer months. Coupled with the large picture window in the dining area, they optimize the natural light year-round.
“Luckily, Pete shares the same style as me, so decorating was never an issue or a clash of ideas,” Brown says of their love of clean, open spaces. These Camerich sofas from Meizai were a splurge to suit the large new living space.
“Our budget was small in relation to the work we had to do, so I contracted all the work myself and project-managed the demolition, design and installation of two bathrooms and the kitchen,” Brown says.
Kitchen stools: Green Cathedral
Kitchen stools: Green Cathedral
The kitchen was a mess before the couple moved in. Brown recalls opening one of the cupboards and having the door come off in her hand. “The dishwasher also made noises like a backfiring car,” she says.
Now it’s a contemporary space that suits a busy young family, with up-to-date appliances and a breakfast bar for speedy meals in the morning.
Now it’s a contemporary space that suits a busy young family, with up-to-date appliances and a breakfast bar for speedy meals in the morning.
Brown also decorates with pieces from her online store, such as these wood and marble cutting boards.
The family room has an old but comfortable sofa, with a TV and an Xbox to keep the kids entertained. Brown had the large Pony Rider flag framed by local business Forman Picture Framing. It adds a touch of fun while fitting with the rest of the decor.
The family room also doubles as a music room where the kids can practice the guitar without disturbing the rest of the house.
Back down the hall toward the front of the house, the master bedroom is bright and Zen-like, with natural linen bedding and a simple color palette.
Bedding and pillows: White & Co.
“Everyone thought I was crazy installing permanent bedside lights,” Brown says of the glass and wood lamps from French company Un Esprit en Plus. “But these are so beautiful and unobtrusive, and will never date.”
Like the kitchen, the bathrooms were fitted out simply and on a fairly small budget. “As we were not initially intending to stay in the house for too long, it was more about making a clean aesthetic change,” Brown says. “But they are practical, and with a bit of styling still look beautiful.”
Knotty Turkish towels and white belly basket: White & Co.
Knotty Turkish towels and white belly basket: White & Co.
Zoe’s room is light and bright, with little bits of color such as the bird artwork and pink bedding. Fairy lights cast a nice glow at night.
Bedding: Country Road Home
Bedding: Country Road Home
Will’s room pays homage to his love of cricket, basketball and especially rugby, with touches of the family’s favorite team, the Kangaroos, featured throughout.
Bedding: Country Road Home
Bedding: Country Road Home
Bedside lamp: Milk & Sugar
Brown turned one of the rooms off the hall into her office, where she ran her decorating business for several years before following her passion for homewares and clothing. She now runs her new online store from here. “I have so many people come to the house and comment on my style, so the site is really to make that style accessible to everyone,” she says.
The family loves spending time outdoors, and the yard has been designed to make it a comfortable place to entertain and enjoy the fresh air. “We now spend most of our time outside, either in or around the pool, and we also spend a lot more time together as a family,” Brown says.
The pool was added to the backyard almost three years ago, and Brown calls it one of the best decisions they made. “The process of adding the pool was made really enjoyable as we had a great pool builder, Andrew Moffat from the Pool Group,” she says. “He helped us design it as well as the landscape surrounding it.”
There was an existing shed adjacent to the pool area, and the couple decided to splurge and install an outdoor shower here, along with a toilet and sink inside. “The kids can swim all day, have dinner and a shower out by the pool, put their pajamas on and then fall into bed,” Brown says of their summer lifestyle.
The large backyard was a huge draw for Whitehead, who grew up in the country. Even with the pool, there’s still plenty of room for a game of cricket with Will.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Krissy Brown, interior designer-turned-owner of online retailer White & Co., with her husband, Pete Whitehead, and their children, Will, 10, and Zoe, 8
Where: Glen Iris, Australia
Size: Four bedrooms, two bathrooms
The home’s beautiful street frontage was appealing to house hunters Krissy Brown and Pete Whitehead, and despite the ugly ’80s interior, the bones of the house were in great shape. As no major structural changes were needed, the renovation would be purely a matter of replacing old with new.
Exterior paint: White Swan by Dulux