The women behind Three Birds Renovations have built themselves a reputation for gorgeous home transformations.
Lana, Bonnie and Erin – the three friends behind the boutique renovation company – also made Bonnie’s dream family home a reality.
Bonnie says she bought the house several years ago, knowing that it needed a major renovation.
“We wanted to build our forever home – the one where we can raise our four boys and not grow out of,” she says.
The five-bedroom home has a guest cottage and barn and is located on two hectares with a tennis court and pool.
“This house is literally my dream home,” Bonnie says.
“I’ve been dreaming about it for over a decade and planning it for the last five years. I grew up with renovating parents, so I’ve been surrounded by reno inspo my whole life. This project really brings together all the inspiration and knowledge I’ve gained over the years.”
Bonnie adds it was the first project of its kind for the business as well.
“Three Birds Renovations hadn’t renovated anything on this scale before either, so it was an opportunity to try lots of new things as well,” she says. “The first houses we did were quick turnaround flip houses, so while we took all care, we were somewhat restricted by the timeline and budget.”
Bonnie’s vision for the house was “modern coastal barn” inspired by her love of the coast, childhood holidays spent by the beach, and New Zealand barn-style properties.
“My husband grew up on a farm in the Southern Highlands, I love the outdoors and with four boys it’s suited us to live on acreage,” she says. “So, a modern coastal barn is really the perfect combo of coast and country for us.”
Features such as a pitched roof and the classic look of Scyon™ Linea™ weatherboards bring the look to life.
While the house is located 30km from the coast, Bonnie wanted it to have a relaxing Hamptons feel. “I wanted a home with a coastal look so that my family and I could feel like we were on holidays every day.”
Weatherboards have been used on the entire exterior of the house, guest cottage and barn, and were painted white for a classic and timeless finish.
“The Linea weatherboard was really the crucial product in bringing the coastal and country looks together,” Bonnie says. “It’s a material used in both these styles of houses, so my coastal weatherboard inspiration doesn’t look out of place in my country setting.”
HardieDeck™ was used around the pool, the boardwalk around the side of the house and the front verandah, and HardieGroove™ in all the external eaves.
For the interior, Bonnie said she wanted high ceilings, pitched roofs and natural wooden floors.
“Scyon™ Axon™ cladding is the perfect product to create texture and interest. I’ve used it throughout the house to add gorgeous texture to walls, ceilings and fireplaces. We actually even used it to make the barn doors.
“I chose these products not only for aesthetic reasons but also how they perform. I love the durability and the fact that they’re low maintenance. Fibre cement was also perfect for the BAL-40 rating of my home as we’re in a bushfire-prone area.”
The modern coastal barn look was further brought to life through well-considered design details and interiors. Bonnie says skylights help flood rooms with light, and (along with white plantation shutters) can transform the feel of a space.
She’s also opted for an inside/outside servery and gas strut windows, which provide a gorgeous unobstructed view outside, and a garden with a simple colour palette of greens and whites, including palm trees and frangipanis.
