Knockout Two Projects in Twelve Weeks

26/08/2022

3 min read

Interior stylist Catherine Heraghty of The Stables used her years of experience to create two separate looks for her Two in Twelve project – one planned as her forever home, the other an investment property to be sold after completion.

Here, she shares her tips on how the two looks came together and how you can add value to an investment property, without over-capitalising.

Deadline Challenges

Catherine gave herself a strict timeline for the renovation – deciding to complete both houses in just 12 weeks. This ambitious target was realised, but she admits it got pretty intense at times!

She says the key elements that got her through were advance planning and strict organisation skills on the job – plus great communication with builder Neil Hipwell of FutureFlip.

“Supplier lead times and stock availability were the primary challenges I came across time after time,” she says.

“There were certain items that I had to forgo as they just were not available in the time frame required by our builder. The key is therefore to be as planned and prepared as you can before the build starts.

“Know what your budget is, know what your selections are going to cost, lock in your selections and ensure they will be available in plenty of time before they are required. This will alleviate so much stress!”

The Forever Home

For her own home, Catherine wanted to use her signature soft colour palette, using detail in the joinery – which featured classic vertical timber panelling and a splashback of irregularly shaped white gloss tiles. For her benchtop, however, it was a simpler choice.

“When it came to my own home, I knew I was going to use Caesarstone!” she says. “Because I have a soft grey kitchen with beautiful detailing in the joinery, I needed some relief from the colour and the texture. I opted for Pure White not because it was safe but because it was the perfect contrast to the coloured joinery. It was exactly what the kitchen needed to make it feel balanced and harmonious.”

Go to the Pure White Colour page

The Investment Property

Catherine’s design for the investment property was all about creating a modern and on-trend look that would not polarise any potential buyers – while still keeping to a budget.

“You need to strike a balance between investing in areas which are going to make a difference to your sale price versus saving in areas that are not going to be noticed as much by potential buyers,” she says.

“I think stone in the kitchen is key to attracting buyers so you can perhaps splurge on this, but when it comes to selecting the type of drawer runners that are used in your kitchen perhaps you could go for a more affordable option as it will save you money and it won’t be something that sells your property.”

“In my investment property we were going for a Hamptons Coastal style so the Calacutta Nuvo was the perfect choice. Marble is still so appealing and it works so well with the shaker style joinery. Classic, timeless and on trend…such a good option!!”