Houzz Tour: An Australian family build their dream home

Houzz Tour: An Australian family build their dream home - From Scratch When Howden Howden Homes builder Shane and his wife Kristie designed their dream house Batesford - a friendly, quiet, near Victoria, Australia - it was not a difficult task. "We knew exactly what we wanted, Kristie said. In addition to Shane's experience as a builder wisely, the couple had gone through a renovation on their previous bungalow, while collecting ideas for their next home and plan meticulously. Build from scratch and move out of town would give them the room they needed to really spread out. Our biggest challenge is that we wanted our new home for the wow factor, but we did not want it to be in any way over the top, said Kristie. Keep details to a minimum and streamlining the inside out to be the key to giving the house a welcoming atmosphere.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Shane and Kristie Howden Thomas with children (11), Charlotte (8), Max (5), and the Mick staffy.
Location Batesford, Victoria, Australia
Size 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms

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one of the best things about moving to Batesford was to have the space for a vegetable garden, fruit trees, a playground and plenty of grassy areas for children to run.

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The first purchase the couple made for construction was recycled a set of messages retrieved from an old pier in Far North Queensland. "These were to be our long messages around the house from front to back, said Kristie.

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"The space is large enough for us to spread out, but not so large that governs our lives, "says Kristie.

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Shane designed home so he could sit on the ground without the need for retaining walls. "We wanted a seamless transition from inside to outside, said Kristie.

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In just seven month, was the house finished -. quite a feat as Shane pressed in construction among its other construction jobs

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the main dining room and large entry area ceiling five meters high lined against-plated and with high windows.

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during the light, Living Etc. Carpets, High Eight Inverleigh. Sideboard, Freedom.

Check ribbon windows

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Kristie and Shane chose concrete floors for their hardiness and ease of cleaning. "They have proven to be surprising, said Kristie. "We wanted the look to industrial warehouse floors; any imperfections and cracks only help give authenticity and character '.

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tables, chairs and lighting on the table Living Etc.

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the house is filled with natural light thanks to carefully positioned windows.

artwork, Living Etc.

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the island bench in the kitchen style kitchen is five meters long. "It was a must because we wanted enough space for the children to use the bench while I was preparing the meal in the kitchen," says Kristie. Large windows and many of them were also a must to make the most of the views of the hill and the valley.

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A glass backsplash in the kitchen shows the wall of the children's room through the garden of red bricks.

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The couple used recycled red old brick outside of their history, but also to give the rustic home, industrial charm.

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An old bath clawfoot is sitting outside on a terrace in the garden between the main bedroom and living room. "It has hot water and a great view of the stars on a clear night, said Kristie.

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In the living room principal, the couple chose to replace some of the larger windows on the original plan with strategically placed windows to allow not only the view of shine, but also for a better placement of furniture. "This means that we now have 180 degree views of our land of the living space, so I can pretty much see the children wherever they are, said Kristie. Kristie is the artwork itself fabric patchwork.

Carpet Shows Etc. Suite and yellow chairs, Jardan.

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a wall mural covers the wall of the children's living room. Taken by photographer Pam Hutchinson, Thomas children, Charlotte and Max are caught playing Rocks Dog, just a natural rock formation on the road. The Wall Sticker Company then has the background photo detachable fabric screen with an adhesive backing.

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"We not anticipate doing this again in the near future and we thought in advance for when the children are older, "says Kristie. "We each have a retirement area, but we also have a large family area in the center of the house.

Kristie painted the back wall of the television room with Dulux 'Domino' and made the curtains herself. The modular sofa "very comfortable" is plush. Kristie and children were round art wall paper from the pages of an old book.

Lamp, Beacon Lighting. Cowhide, KYO. Pouff, Living Etc. fake fur cushion, freedom.

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All three bathrooms have concrete floors, including in the shower with cavities.

Bath, Reece. Lighting, tiles Living Etc. Mosaic, Walkers.

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more freestanding baths

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faded TV in the background when Kristie surrounded with framed prints - just what she hoped. Shane custom office using fold with a top in black laminate.

Chairs, Ikea.

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in the hallway, Kristie digital scrapbook hobby family photos were pasted on plywood. It was a task to mount the images evenly -. They are hung with picture hooks, but held in place with Blu-tack

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The children's bathroom has 100 x 100mm tiles Walkers.

Furniture, Reece.

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