When this Gold Coast renovation began the owners had no idea how to use, let alone furnish their home. Dark hallways and confusing floor plans left them with a home that befuddled the senses. When Donna Guyler Design took on this project it was the very first thing she addressed. With some clever maneuvering to correct the floorplan and contemporary coastal styling, this house became a well-designed home with a layout that enhances everyday living. Take a peek at the photos below and see why Donna’s clients never want to leave.

This was a full-scale renovation project. We worked with our clients to redesign the inefficient floor plan of their home. There were rooms in their home that were completely bare of any furniture because the layout of their home was so confusing, they actually didn’t know what to use the room for!

While we addressed every single room in the home as part of the renovation, it was the entry and the kitchen that underwent the biggest transformations. The entry was dark and very underwhelming, with a confusing pathway from the entry door into the home – either down a dark hall or through an unused living room. We defined the entry by removing walls and adding in mudroom joinery to the hallway, widening it, and clearly directing traffic down this path into the home.

The old kitchen was removed to make way for a kitchen almost twice the size, and included a new butler’s pantry, that we connected to both the Kitchen and the alfresco deck – this was a moment of design genius by the design team, and one we’re very proud of! This connection from the butler’s pantry with the deck is perfect for this family who spend a large portion of the year entertaining on their deck.

The owner’s suite was also completely transformed with a newly designed walk-in-robe and ensuite bathroom, and we added in french doors out to the patio where there was previously a window only. We freshened up this room with VJ cladding and wallpaper and a beautiful feature barn door painted in a dusty blue, as the entry to the ensuite bathroom.

The biggest challenge we faced on this project was the layout – once we reconfigured this to make the home work for our clients, and meet their specific needs, the conceptual design came very easily to us. When the renovation works were complete, we also furnished the home from top to bottom for our clients with new furniture, artwork, and accessory items. Our client is originally Californian, so we added in small reminders of the West Coast by way of artwork and accessories throughout. When we completed the project, and handed it over to our clients after the final install, they told us they would never leave!

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Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Interior Design: Donna Guyler Design · Photography: Mezic Studio · Builder: Burton & Burton  · Cabinetry & Joinery: A Karczub Cabinetmaking