The dream team at Three Birds Renovations are masters of home transformations, but this project is a little different than what they’re used to. For starters, the homeowner is none other than their digital designer, Sophie Bell of Peppa Hart, and for the first time in the history of Three Birds Renovations, their collaboration with Sophie and husband Michael is a new home build.
We chatted with the team at Three Birds Renovations about their exciting House 10 project.
After travelling extensively throughout Southern Europe, Sophie and Michael always knew that their dream house had to be a modern Mediterranean masterpiece. For the young couple and their two children, two-year-old Hendrix and newborn Peppa, this dream came true when they bought acreage in the NSW Hinterland and partnered with Three Birds Renovations. As a digital designer, Sophie already had a keen eye for style and aesthetics and plenty of inspirational photographs, sketches and mementos from family holidays in Greece and Italy. After only spending an hour looking at the vacant acreage in the lush NSW Hinterland, Sophie and Michael knew that this was the perfect site to build their Mediterranean masterpiece. And of course, partnering with three creative and talented home renovators Sophie had worked with for years was a no-brainer.
“Sophie had SO much inspo she’d collected from holiday pics, hotels and magazines to create her vision board for this #mediterraneanfarmhouse,” Three Birds Renovations say. Once the look had been finalised, Sophie and Michael spent a year watching their vision come to life – literally! Sophie started the design process with a sketch of their dream family home, which she got a designer to create a 3D render of the final product. From here, the Three Birds Renovations team sprayed out the entire house on the ground at full-size so North Mac Constructions could walk through and visualise every inch of the build. North Mac Constructions instantly understood their vision and brought the whole thing to life.
For Sophie and Michael, their vision of a modern Mediterranean villa meets rustic Italian farmhouse was all about carefree, casual living with outdoor influences and touchable textures. Although this was going to be a new home build, the Bells didn’t want the house to feel too modern. “Using render and textured building materials throughout, we have managed to bring that old charm to a brand-new build”, say Three Birds Renovations.
Axon™ Cladding by James Hardie was used extensively throughout the house on all interior ceilings as well as in the interior and exterior of the pool cabana to bring that essential textural element into the build. “We’ve always loved Axon™ Cladding , and now Sophie’s got the bug too – she cladded the entire pool cabana (inside and out), all the day beds and even the doors in Axon! We wanted it to feel like a beach bar in Greece – clean, white, rendered and with lots of Axon™ Cladding for texture.”
And the textural elements didn’t stop there. Hardie™ Deck cladding was used around the pool to add even more texture, which, according to Three Birds Renovations “… is an integral part of creating the authentic look of this Mediterranean farmhouse.”
Since the Bell family are big on entertaining, Three Birds Renovations had to pay close attention to their outdoor entertaining area. Building an outdoor pool cabana adjacent to the pool gives the family the freedom to entertain with family and friends all year round. Plus, the addition of textural elements with Hardie™ Deck around the pool and Axon™ Cladding on the cabana instantly transports you to a Mediterranean beachside on a balmy summer day. Three Birds Renovations say, “It’s all about food and cocktails out there. The cabana is the perfect place for everyone to enjoy the beautiful Northern NSW summer. They also have a fire pit so they can enjoy it even in winter.”
Aside from providing stunning textural elements, the Axon™ Cladding and Hardie™ Deck cladding products used throughout the build will stand up to the high moisture rating of the area. Since the property is surrounded by rainforest, moisture is naturally high and could rot traditional timber over time. Axon™ Cladding and Hardie™ Deck, on the other hand, will stand up to the conditions for years to come. Both Axon™ Cladding and Hardie™ Deckare also highly fire-resistant. Axon™ Cladding has a BAL-40 rating and HardieDeck is suitable for use in a BAL 29-rated area, which is the bushfire rating for the Bell’s block.
One year on after working with merely a sketch of their dream home, Sophie and Michael have an incredible oasis to raise their family and entertain visiting family and friends. “Your lifestyle and the way you like to live in your home should always be top of mind when designing your house”, say Three Birds Renovations. With two young kids at home, Sophie and Michael don’t get out as much so they decided to bring the beach bar to their home. They can make cocktails, cook pizzas and watch the kids in the pool – what’s not to love!
Have a clear vision of the look you’re trying to achieve by creating a vision board for your renovation
Add lots of arches – doors, windows, doorways, niches – the more the better
Throw in a round window for good measure!
The more texture the better mix cladding with rendered surfaces and concrete for a dynamic look
Three Birds Renovations
Builder: North Mac Constructions