How to get the best renovation result on a limited budget
Prioritise your spending on the form of the shell and keep the interiors as simple as possible says architect Eva-Marie Prineas

It's the dilemma nearly all homeowners face as they start a renovation project on one side of the equation is the wishlist and on the other side the budget. And rarely do they match up.
What's needed is a compromise, which usually means trimming the wishlist. But what should you cut out?
Architect Eva-Marie Prineas' advice is to prioritise the available budget on producing quality space rather than quantity.
"I'd prefer to have something that's beautifully designed and performs a number of functions rather than trying to get more space for your money," she says.

For the 1930s bungalow renovation and addition featured here, that even meant having just one bathroom.
"Although it's not ideal, a family can live in a house with one bathroom. Instead of a second bathroom, you could put the money into creating better connections to the outside, or on a skylight things that will give you a better quality of life."
The villa had been in a sad state, with a tiny kitchen and dining room crammed into a lean-to on the back. While the lean-to opened to a deck, this was roofed over and enclosed by a fence, making it dark and poorly connected to the large garden.
Prineas reconfigured the original villa to house bedrooms, a kids' rumpus room and a toilet room. But it's in the addition at the back where her approach to quality space becomes most apparent.

"Given the modest budget, we spent the money on the shell including oversized dormer windows to bring light in through the roof, and the sliding glass door panels to connect to the outdoors."
Everything else has been kept as simple and economical as possible.
With no budget for custom joinery, Prineas relied on IKEA cabinetry, installed into alcoves so they don't look like flatpack. Plus, the addition's concrete floor, also functions as the structural slab.
The link between the old and the new is also a cleverly designed structure, including two lightwells to brighten the master ensuite and a study, as well as housing the laundry.
Credit list
Architect
Cladding
Flooring
Kitchen cabinets
Benchtops
Taps
Bathroom vanity
Basin
Toilet
Ventilation
Awards
Builder
Window and door joinery
Paint
Cabinetry handles
Sink
Refrigerator
Shower fittings and taps
Tiles
Lighting
Accessories
Story by: Australia TIDA Homes , James Hardie
Photography by: Chris Warnes
For more than 30 years, Trends has promoted great home design ideas through its print, digital and online media.The Trends International Design Awards – TIDAs – take that involvement to the next level with the search for the best kitchens, bathrooms and homes across a number of the countries where Trends has a presence.
Industrial chic meets family lifestyle
Quiet grandeur
All points considered
James Hardie is a leading international building materials company and a global leader in fibre cement, one of the world's fastest growing building products.
Major renovation marries old with new delivering new home built on good bones
Flat out transformation
A home that suits the busy lifestyle of a family
Home Trends Vol. 33/5
Your new bathroom should be a place that's a pleasure to spend time in, whether that's at the start or end of the day. But what style of bathroom are you looking for – bright white contemporary or one with a more moody ambience?To help you create the bathroom – or kitchen or home – you've always wanted, we’ve collected some of the latest design and product ideas in this issue of Trends.