5 Tips for Flips:

House Rules winners Aaron and Daniella Winter know how to create a beautiful space in a short period of time. Here they share some insider tricks.

If there is one thing that husband and wife renovation powerhouse, Aaron and Daniella Winter, know, it’s how to create maximum impact in minimum time. The couple – chippie Aaron and style queen Daniella – won Channel 7’s House Rules in 2017 with a combination of skill, good humour and incredible drive.

They have now set up their own building and renovation company – Hype Build + Design – and, naturally, chose Caesarstone^® for all their benchtops in their first project, a Gold Coast home they bought, renovated and sold for profit. In just three months.

Daniella says that their own home was renovated with Caesarstone^® finishes as part of House Rules and they fell in love with the product then. She even chose the same colour – Calacatta Nuvo – for the “flip house” as they have in their own home.

“I didn’t know about any products until I got onto House Rules,” she says, “but after working closely with the suppliers I got to learn about these things. My dream was to work with Caesarstone^® to produce what I want to produce, and that’s what we got to do at this house.”

“We have Caesarstone^® everywhere,” she adds with a laugh. “We put it in the kitchen, the laundry and then the master bedroom, where it’s in the wardrobe, used on a bench.”

“It is just beautiful to use it again,” she says. “And everyone loves it. It’s timeless isn’t it?”

Outdoor living is an important selling point on the Gold Coast, so the couple also used Caesarstone^® in the outdoor kitchen, this time choosing the Raw Concrete finish, which they felt complemented the alfresco area well.

“I wanted that indoor/outdoor feeling,” explains Daniella, “so we got Caesarstone^® on the outside as well.

The Caesarstone^® island bench in the kitchen was a big winner with buyers when the house was finished and on the market.

“The main focus for us was the kitchen. Everyone walked in and was like: ‘Wow! Look at your island bench’, she says. “It was massive and we used it at 60mm thick – and we did that in the butler’s pantry as well. It was just stunning.”

According to Aaron, the couple had always dreamed of having a lush stone benchtop and felt it would work well with the design of the flip house.

“Our priority for Moola Court was to open up the house and create a relaxed luxurious feeling, which is why we decided on an elegant modern coastal design,” he says.

“We hatched a plan to open up the kitchen, dining and lounge into one living space and surround it with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The kitchen stone selection was critical because the layout of the kitchen became the focus point of the living space.

“The Calacutta Nuvo Caesarstone^® selected was magnificent and complemented the grey mirror splashback and the mix of timber, black and white cabinetry. Looking back at our initial concepts we did not realise the impact the stone would make; it was breathtaking. Everyone who came to inspect the house would admire the kitchen.”

Breakout:

Aaron & Daniella’s kitchen renovation tips:

1. Design is important with creating a new kitchen, stick to your plan and don’t change.
2. Do your homework. Make sure to visit the showrooms of all the products you love.
3. Stick with the rules, such as the kitchen triangle, they always make kitchens easy to work in and more ergonomic.
4. Even when choosing neutral colours, take risks with textures in elements such as stone surfaces and tiles.
5. Use art and coloured accessories to complement your kitchen and make it pop!