Home Tours
A Mid-Century Modern Renovation With European Inspired Details
Instagram: @renovatingmates
Photography: Kristian Van Der Beek
There’s something so special about a mid-century modern style home. We’re not sure whether it’s the nostalgia brought on by the unmistakable palette and patterns, or maybe it just feels exciting in today’s modern world. But what we do know is that if anyone has nailed that classic mid-century style, it’s Renovating Mates. Meet Allambi House. Nestled away in sunny Broadbeach is a home that transports us back to the 60s and 70s. The renovation has us in absolute awe of its European inspired checkered patterns, glamourous earthy tones, and striking features. Plus, did we mention there’s a sunken lounge? So, come with us as we take what feels like a trip down memory lane and tour Allambi House.
Hi Perri, thanks so much for chatting with Style Sourcebook! Can you tell us a little bit about Renovating Mates?
Renovating Mates was created by my husband, Eddie and I. We’ve spent 10 years renovating and developing property on the Gold Coast. We currently own a building and pool company and share the projects through our Renovating Mates Instagram page. We knew there was a missing piece as clients were feeling challenged with certain aspects of their projects, so that’s where Renovating Mates was born as a business.
We now offer renovation and design consultancy where we work directly with clients to support them wherever they feel challenged. It might be figuring out how to create their plans, making their selections, plus final design choices.
Allambi House is breathtaking, what was your inspiration behind creating the mid-century modern project?
We have renovated 18 properties now and our style has definitely evolved in that time due to our likes and budget. We have always focused on a very neutral style as that’s what we enjoyed living, but it also appeals to a larger market when selling. After so many years, naturally, we have evolved, and we felt a pull toward creating something with more character. My husband, Eddie, suggested a mid-century style. I started researching and fell in love with the characteristics of homes of the 60s and 70s - the bold colours and patterns, plus functional design.
Where did you draw inspiration for Allambi House?
Some of our favourite properties we look to for inspiration were found in mid-century Hollywood- captured by the likes of Slim Aarons. Very luxurious! We also find inspiration from the people around us.
The palette feels so fresh, how did you choose the colours and tones for Allambi House?
We had just spent a month in Europe prior to starting the renovation. We fell in love with checkers after seeing a lot of marble checkered floors throughout hotels and restaurants. We chose the main flooring first as it’s such a big part of any house. Once we established that we would have a beige and white checkered floor, I knew we had a lot of flexibility with the rest of the palette. Our next choice was the kitchen benchtops. I fell in love with the Verde Cotto granite, and once I got the approval that it was in our budget, I based the palette on the stone. I’m so happy we chose green as the primary colour, it’s a very earthy avocado green and it creates the most calming feeling throughout the home.
The sunken lounge is such a unique feature, what made you opt for this design?
Sunken lounges became huge in the 1970s and were known as ‘the conversation pit’. So, we knew to nail a mid-century home, we had to have one. Not only does it look beautiful and is a great place to snuggle up and watch TV, but it’s the perfect spot to chill out when you’ve got friends over with a glass of wine. People also always comment on how soft the shaggy carpet in the middle feels.
What’s your favourite feature of the home?
We love EVERYTHING about this build. It’s only after years of renovating that we can finally say we are really happy with the outcome of the entire project. But, if I was to choose one feature, it would have to be the sunken lounge, of course. Apart from that, we love the open plan kitchen. It looks incredibly luxurious with all the integrated appliances and granite splashbacks while also being very functional. I love to cook and entertain friends so that’s a must for me.
And lastly the spa, I love that it’s quirky with green and white tiles but it’s also such an enjoyable feature. We love jumping in the spa at the end of the day and enjoying the beautiful garden built up around it whilst we look at the house. It’s so relaxing and it feels like you’re escaping the hustle and bustle of the Gold Coast for a moment.
What challenges did you face during the renovations?
Our biggest challenge was most definitely the constant price rises throughout our six-month renovation. My job is always the interior so I did the best I could to always be responsible when choosing our finishes. Quality is a huge factor for us, so we made sure to support brands that were affordable without it impacting their quality. Outside of that, there were definitely materials such as timber, bricks, concrete, steel, windows, and cabinetry, that we simply couldn’t move forward without, so we just had to accept that it was going to cost a lot more than we originally planned.
Who were the go-to suppliers used for Allambi House?
After a long time in the building industry, we have a very loyal and talented list of suppliers to go to that we know provide good quality and well-priced products:
