Rachael Casella (@mylifeof_love), mother of two, and author of Mackenzie's Mission (a book about Rachael's daughter, and journey through IVF) has completed her first renovation for her forever-home, and did this all whilst pregnant. Read about her journey below.
Rachael Casella (@mylifeof_love), mother of two, and author of Mackenzie's Mission (a book about Rachael's daughter, and journey through IVF) has completed her first renovation for her forever-home, and did this all whilst pregnant. Read about her journey!
The house we purchased to renovate was built around the 1890’s, because of its age we wanted the renovation to be modern but with a classic touch making sure we had a nod to the era.
I took a lot of inspiration through searching Instagram and Pinterest to find elements that I wanted to include. Then of course we had to find inspiration in the space as being in the Inner West in Sydney the room we had was limited.
I had never pictured myself as renovating a home. I came into this renovation with zero experience.
Initially when looking to purchase we were looking for homes that were already completed and ready to move in to because I was pregnant at the time, and we were concerned about timing. However, the completed homes we were looking at kept going for more money than we could afford so we had to turn to homes that needed some work.
We needed to renovate the kitchen, bathroom and front of the house, with small other changes throughout the house like lighting and plantation shutters. It was quite overwhelming when we were looking at what needed to be completed in a short amount of time. However, I tried to remember to break it down into segments to make sure the task did not become too much.
For me, I knew it was important to find a builder we trusted. We knew someone through a friend who we trusted and whose work we admired. They offered to supply the products but when looking at the style they provided I knew we needed to source our own. I started researching the large feature pieces first and every time, I kept coming back to The Blue Space. It became clear quite quickly that our renovation would be simpler and of high quality if we sourced everything through them, particularly for the bathroom.
Finding a good builder and a good product supplier made the process so much easier. Overall, despite it being stressful at times I actually really enjoyed the process. I thought doing it whilst pregnant would become too much but with some support it worked out and we couldn’t be happier. We now have a house that we made, it is ours and we are so proud – we have a home.
I had never pictured myself as renovating a home. I came into this renovation with zero experience.
Initially when looking to purchase we were looking for homes that were already completed and ready to move in to because I was pregnant at the time, and we were concerned about timing. However, the completed homes we were looking at kept going for more money than we could afford so we had to turn to homes that needed some work.
We needed to renovate the kitchen, bathroom and front of the house, with small other changes throughout the house like lighting and plantation shutters. It was quite overwhelming when we were looking at what needed to be completed in a short amount of time. However, I tried to remember to break it down into segments to make sure the task did not become too much.
For me, I knew it was important to find a builder we trusted. We knew someone through a friend who we trusted and whose work we admired. They offered to supply the products but when looking at the style they provided I knew we needed to source our own. I started researching the large feature pieces first and every time, I kept coming back to The Blue Space. It became clear quite quickly that our renovation would be simpler and of high quality if we sourced everything through them, particularly for the bathroom.
Finding a good builder and a good product supplier made the process so much easier. Overall, despite it being stressful at times I actually really enjoyed the process. I thought doing it whilst pregnant would become too much but with some support it worked out and we couldn’t be happier. We now have a house that we made, it is ours and we are so proud – we have a home.
The most challenging element was definitely managing the timings. I had to manage the timings of different contractors, the timings of products arriving, the timings of us moving in and our furniture arriving and the timings of it being completed before our baby arrived. It was difficult at times, especially when dealing with specialty contractors, outside of our builders. Somehow it worked out.
The most exciting part was watching it come together. I had the vision in my head but having no previous experience I wasn’t sure if it would come together as I planned. Would all the elements look good together? Would it flow throughout the house? I was nervous, as so much money was riding on me but watching it evolve in front of our eyes was so exciting and satisfying!
It actually became an easy decision. I began looking for some of the main feature pieces online and every search kept bringing me back to The Blue Space. I absolutely LOVED their product. The style fit in with what we were looking for, the prices were value for money, the quality was high and the customer service and support was next level. I also have a preference for being able to shop and arrange things from the comfort of my couch at night, so the online element of The Blue Space suited me. I would recommend them to everyone.
Break down the process into steps so you don’t get overwhelmed and make sure you find people and products that you believe in, in the long run it will be so important.
Bathroom Vanity: ADP Atlanta Semi-Recessed Wall Hung Vanity 900mm Left Offset (Tasmanian Oak cabinet finish, fingerpull handles, Bright White benchtop, ADP Integrity Solid Surface semi-recessed basin in matte white)
Mirror Cabinet: Timberline Havana Shaving Cabinet (Tasmanian Oak cabinet finish)
Bathroom Taps:
Bathtub: Caroma Vivas Anti-slip Island Bath
Shower: Caroma Urbane II Rail Shower 300mm Overhead Brushed Brass
Toilet: Decina Renee Rimless Wall Faced Toilet Suite
Bathroom Accessories:
Kitchen Tap: Phoenix Vivid Slimline Pull Out Sink Mixer Brushed Gold
