STEP BY STEP: Getting started
Step by Step… Getting Started
This is the first entry of what I hope will be many, documenting the projects that I’m juggling alongside setting up my interior design business, Kate Kerin Interiors. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my two first clients, Joanna and Pam. They have trusted me with their interior design projects and I am very grateful. This first post is a bit of an intro to them, and their projects.
Petersham Project - bathroom reno
Recently Joanna approached me to renovate her bathroom, located in Petersham in Sydney’s Inner West. Although this should be a fairly straightforward renovation, there are a few complicating factors. First, this bathroom is in an apartment block, requiring body corporate approval. Joanna is a good neighbour and wants to ensure noise, dust and inconvenience are kept to a minimum. Second, Joanna will have to move out for the duration of the process, as there is only one bathroom in the apartment. She works from home, so relocating for 4-6 weeks will require careful planning and a bit of luck. Another matter of consequence is Joanna’s desire to keep the project as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. This has presented me with a welcome challenge; I, too, am keen to minimise waste, to specify products that are less of a burden on the planet and to help my clients to both reduce cost and their climate footprint where possible. I’m pleased to set a goal of thinking deeply about each and every choice on this project to make it the most sustainable option we can, while still maintaining a beautiful design aesthetic.
The first few weeks have involved getting an idea of Joanna’s style and her needs and desires for the bathroom. A site visit has revealed that the bathroom had suffered water ingress from a leak in the apartment upstairs, leading to damage in the ceiling and loss of function in the electrical fixtures. The bathroom hasn’t been updated since the building was finished in around 2000, so it is ripe for a makeover. The room contains a separate shower in a little nook to the side of the room, and a full size bathtub as well as a small vanity with semi-recessed sink and a loo. Joanna has decided she does not need to retain a bathtub; instead she proposes moving the shower to the current tub location and closing up the shower. This will provide the opportunity for the shower recess to become a small wardrobe in the adjoining second bedroom, serviced by a barn door. My measurements and some playing around on SketchUp have revealed that this is indeed an excellent idea that should be achievable.
What happens next? Read my next blog post to find out!
Greenwich project: Seniors’ Resort refresh
Pam is in her early 80s and lives in a lovely upmarket “over-55s” resort on Sydney’s North Shore. Pam lives in one of the penthouse apartments, which is spacious and well lit, with a huge courtyard garden and wonderful amenities. I hope one day to live somewhere similar!
Although she doesn’t want to undertake any structural changes, Pam wants to refresh and lighten the look of her apartment. She has already replaced some appliances, and wants a new coat of paint throughout, plus new carpet. However the biggest part of her project is replacing some of her furniture to achieve a more modern look and lighten the décor. This has been a very emotional decision for Pam, because she chose all of the existing furniture with her late husband, and although she doesn’t absolutely love it all, it is in good condition and comes attached to precious memories. Pam says she engaged KK Interiors because I was willing to work slowly with her to implement change, step by step, and with respect.
Read my next blog to find out more about Pam’s design journey.
Kate Kerin Interiors specialises in working with residential clients in Sydney, particularly older people who are downsizing or live independently in lifestyle resorts. Contact Kate for an initial consultation to talk about your project.
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