When Andy and Deb Saunders appeared on The Block four years ago, they quickly proved they were an unstoppable team, renovating and restoring a hotel in St Kilda and honing their design skills and coastal aesthetic. The well-loved pair launched their own renovation web series ‘DNA of Design‘ soon after, and have just revealed their second magnificent build.
The build, called House Two on the web series, was a dark, damp Gold Coast hinterland home. Andy and Deb’s challenge was to transform it into an open-plan home with a seamless connection to the garden and pool area. “We started with a very old ’80s double storey home. The bottom level was built into the side of the hill,” says Deb, who describes the original house as “hideous” in the series and promises “goodbye to this end of the house”.
“It ended up being a bigger job than we anticipated,” says Deb, who with Andy worked with homeowner Michelle on the renovation. Deb and Andy actually met Michelle while working on The Block. “She toured the house and apparently loved it. She contacted us to work on this project, but it took a long time to get this point.”
The house was mismatched when Andy and Deb first saw it, so the pair used colour and finishes to bring it all together and make cohesive the old and new parts of the house. “We kept the colours all soft and used a lot of cream and golds. We ran with that palette all the way through,” says Deb.
(Source: Supplied)The planning and renovation took place throughout the pandemic and during border lockdowns, and when Deb and Andy saw the house for the first time “we knew we had a really big job ahead”. They lived five hours away so a lot of decisions and walk-throughs during the planning and build took place over Zoom, says Deb. “There were a few months when we couldn’t get there at all. It’s nerve racking making decisions based on tiny samples.”
The home’s proximity to the bush inspired Andy and Deb’s style direction and colour palette. “We were inspired by the trees and bush around the house. The trees often have koalas in there and they get kangaroos down the back.”
The existing house needed a major overhaul to bring it to the elevated style and elegant space typical of Deb and Andy’s renovations. This included flipping the two levels of the house completely around. “We wanted to unearth it. It was quite damp, the downstairs was not being used well. We needed to lighten it and brighten it. Our view was to open it up, extend the bottom area and make the outdoors more accessible. Upstairs and downstairs didn’t work together well. Upstairs had a rickety staircase and downstairs was very disjointed. The pool was difficult to get to and the flow was all off,” she says.
Deb admits the renovation involved a complete transformation, including shifting rooms around and even moving the entry. “It’s very different now. We moved the entryway so when you walk up to the house you can see straight through to the new extension and the trees beyond. Now everything carries through well. We swapped everything around. The upstairs kitchen is now a living room. Nothing is left as it was. Now it’s open and airy,” says Deb.
‘Unearthed’ is inspired by a wabi-sabi philosophy, which heavily influenced the design and décor throughout the project. The refreshed home features 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a large open-plan kitchen with butler’s pantry and a generous outdoor entertaining area.
The finished house is stylistically cohesive and has a beautiful flow that leads through to the expansive garden and bush surrounds. “There were lots of different finishes and surfaces [in the original house], and different surfaces and tiles and finishes around the pool,” says Deb. “We used the same flooring throughout inside the house, and replaced the existing mismatched floors with a beautiful soft oak floorboard. That’s a great way to add cohesion and tie new and old together. We kept the colours all soft and we used a lot of cream and golds. We ran with that palette all the way through.”
THE BEST OF ANDY AND DEB’S RENOVATIONS
TOUR ANDY AND DEB’S LATEST RENOVATION
.jpg?fit=650%2C542&resize=650%2C542)
exterior
The existing house needed a major overhaul to bring it to the elevated style and elegant space typical of Andy and Deb’s renovations as seen on The Block.
front door andy and deb renovation
The build, called House Two on the web series, was a dark, damp Gold Coast hinterland home. Andy and Deb’s challenge was to transform it into an open-plan home that is light and bright, and that brings nature in. Moving and replacing the front door was the first step, which feature Helsinki Door levers from Iver.
ensuite bathroom
For the ensuite bathroom, the pair chose the Clay Chalk Matt Structure Tiles from Beaumont Tiles “We love the gorgeous textural look and feel that adds such interest, and their soft white tone doesn’t overpower the space.”
mezzanine
The mezzanine living space above the dining room is now Deb’s favourite feature in the house, and it was an accident. “I really love the kitchen, living and dining space. We put a mezzanine above the kitchen due to some engineering problems. It goes to show that you have to be flexible and open to change. It threw a spanner in the works, but it’s one of my favourite features,” she says.
living room andy and deb
The sitting rooms looks out over the living and dining and into the trees outside.” It’s jaw dropping. It came from a last minute change,” says Deb.
kitchen
“I love how the kitchen turned out,” says Deb. “It was challenging to pull it together with the butlers and pantry in the old part of the house. We used [Calacatta Oro Stone from Smart Stone Australia] that has a beautiful charcoal vein through it. When we selected our Westinghouse appliances we picked up that charcoal tone. We used it throughout. Those decisions seem small but they help create a cohesive flow and connect old and new house.”
kitchen westinghouse
Andy and Deb used Westinghouse appliances throughout the home, including a 624L side by side refrigerator in the kitchen.
kitchen downstairs
The downstairs section of the house has quite literally been built into the earth and needed to be lightened and brightened. The main focus was how to bring in natural light, so Andy and Deb brought the kitchen downstairs and opened everything up with large doors and windows.
The colour palette features earthy muted greens paired with taupes and warm oak-coloured timbers, which are appealing to anyone who loves a coastal retreat style of home.
“Now everything carries through well. We swapped everything around. The upstairs kitchen is now a living room. Nothing is left as it was. Now it’s open and airy,” says Deb.
Andy and Deb wanted House One and this House two to be distinctive from each other. “We wanted the houses to be different. We wanted two different styles – we worked on both houses at similar times, so it helped to keep things different.”
The meticulously designed home embraces imperfections and creates a space that is authentic, functional, and calm. “We’re particularly loving the indoor-outdoor living trend that’s as strong as ever in 2023. Outdoor kitchens and BBQ areas that extend living spaces and suit our Aussie lifestyle are always on trend which was important when designing this home,” says Deb.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
