Transforming this family home into a treasured modern abode

Step one, buy an unpolished property. Next, flip it. Then cash out. That was the plan when Amy and Bodhi secured their purchase in Old Sapphire, Coffs Harbour.

But like most things in life, plans changed. And for this young couple that change came when two months after purchasing, Amy and Bodhi found out they were pregnant.

And so just like that the plans for the house changed too, making way for their forever home.

Birds of a feather are inspired together

Leading the renovation charge was Amy, a young, bright woman with a “never give-up” attitude. Amy was on a mission. No longer was she looking for a quick home flip, the new strategy was investing in high-quality, durable products and teaming up with a builder that could endure her persistence and be her ‘yes’ man.

That ‘yes’ started with a look, one inspired by Amy’s go-to inspiration station Three Birds Renovations. Professional renovating trio Bonnie, Erin, and Lana share their knowledge with their large following of mostly women, inspiring them to take the reins of their own home renovations and re-dos. For Amy, these women’s ability to transform homes with such simple, effortless style was a source of confidence and a guiding light for her own renovation.

Amy says that ‘The Three Birds team had just done this big, beautiful white house in Northern NSW (House 10). That started my inspiration for both the materials and the look we were going for too.’

That’s when Amy was introduced to James Hardie. ‘Three Birds Renovations use Hardie™ products in almost every house, and they look completely different in every house. You can see the quality in the work, and that’s really what I wanted’ she commented.

Watching home transformation after home transformation with the help of James Hardie, Amy reached for her computer and started researching. It was here that she discovered Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding - falling in love with its clean and modern look.

Coastal meets modern family abode

To modernise her home, she used her family’s lifestyle as motivation. Both her and Bodhi are relaxed, coastal people that love the outdoors, and they wanted their house to reflect that.

Open plan living areas and large windows connecting indoors to outdoors creating light-filled spaces are a staple of modern home. This, combined with a relaxing coastal style pool and pergola, and use of white and natural tones allowed Amy to really create the haven of a home she and Bodhi desired.

It had to be ‘open, just really open plan’ Amy remarks. ‘Where we could walk from one end of the home to the other without walls in the way. We wanted to feel like we had space and were outside all the time.’ To create this spacious, light-filled atmosphere, Amy and her builder designed the home to have as many windows as possible… which meant having an exterior material that could be easily shaped around them.

For Amy and Bodhi, the outside façade is as important as the inside. To obtain that sleek, modern rendered look while also allowing light to pour in, Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding was the obvious choice.

Amy admits she is particular in her tastes. She didn’t want a product that gave her home a cookie-cutter finish, rather something that emulated their outdoor, coastal lifestyle and unique style. Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding turned out to be the perfect solution for Amy to establish the sleek, modern rendered design she desired.

Aesthetically, Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding has a gorgeous simplicity to it that puts focus on the shape of the building without busy lines. It’s reminiscent of render without the hassle of having to bring renderers on site because the texture is already embedded in the fire cement panels.

Amy used an all-white colour palette and the texture gives the paint a nice matte finish. However, the choices are endless as the panels are pre-sealed and ready to be painted with any low sheen exterior paint colour.

Adding some shine to Old Sapphire

‘We bought in an area literally called Old Sapphire, everything is built 50 years ago. Now our house stands out in the best way possible, and at least six other houses in the area have followed suit’ Amy proudly noted. ‘People actually stop to ask us how we did it and use it for inspiration to transform their own houses.’

Most of all, Amy was surprised by how affordable the entire process was and encourages others to not be limited by what they think something will cost.

Her advice to others is ‘when it comes to achieving your vision for your home, the too hard basket just doesn’t exist.’ ‘Instead of just painting your house and saying that will do, you can go out and find products like Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding that gives you the exact look you want without breaking the bank.’

In doing so, Amy says that she and Bodhi have increased the value of their home far more than what they spent and have started a renovation movement within their suburb.

But best of all, Amy’s hidden gem turned into a diamond that will be treasured by her now 18-month-old daughter, husband, and second baby on the way.

Looking to transform your home into a treasured family abode? Find inspiration just like Amy from our Pinterest Board, Modern Look Book, or Renovation Guide.