STEP BY STEP: Seeking permission
Step by Step documents the projects that I’m juggling alongside setting up my new interior design business, Kate Kerin Interiors. My clients Joanna and Pam have kindly agreed to being the subject of this blog, and I thank them for sharing their projects with our readers.
Petersham Project – bathroom reno
As I’ve previously mentioned, Joanna lives in an inner West apartment which has a Body Corporate. Before we get too far into our planning she needs to request permission for her project through the strata managers. There is a form to be completed, and they require fairly detailed information about the nature of the renovation and the level of disruption that will occur. Joanna asks me to assist with completing the application.
I already have our SketchUp plans which will be relevant to the application, but we want to move walls in order to open the wardrobe into the second bedroom – this will require an engineer’s report. I’m fairly confident the wall is not load-bearing, but we need to test this theory so Joanna contacts the engineer recommended by her strata manager. Luckily he is able to come by quickly, and confirms the wall is not load bearing. Phew!
The Body Corporate application requires our plans for where the contractors will park, how and when rubbish will be removed, the length of time of the job and very specific details about what is actually going to be done. I complete the form on Joanna’s behalf, but we agree to hold off submitting it until our preferred contractor has another opportunity to visit the apartment. We want to be really clear about floor levels, whether there will be any damage to the floor slab, and be 100% confident that the building team understands the requirements of the Body Corporate in order to minimise disruption and inconvenience to Joanna’s neighbours.
Meanwhile, we get a call from Earp Bros Tiles to say that we must pay a deposit for the feature tiles and wall tiles we selected during our recent shopping trip – or risk someone else snapping up the order of our beautiful tiles. If that happens, we could face a 12-14 week wait until a new batch of tiles can be brought into the country. This is a real concern! The application for approval by the Body Corporate hasn’t yet been submitted and the builder hasn’t been confirmed, yet we must decide urgently whether to proceed with ordering our preferred wall tiles. I ring Joanna to discuss the situation, and luckily she is very understanding. She decides the risk is worth taking, and will proceed to pay the 30% deposit on the tiles in order to secure them for her renovation. Now we just have to hope the strata approval is smooth and we can proceed swiftly!
Read my next post to find out our next steps.
Greenwich project – Seniors’ Resort refresh
Pam’s Greenwich apartment is now fully painted and looks refreshed and beautiful. Painter Marc Boros did a fantastic job (contact me if you’d like to get in touch with him), fixing cracks and crevices as well as painting three coats of our selected colour, which was lighter than the original colour. Pam is delighted with the outcome and is feeling really energised about the other steps in this apartment refresh, such as re-carpeting and replacing some of her furniture and appliances.
Luckily, because Pam has decided on a less invasive renovation she does not need permission from the owner of her complex. We decide to focus on the living/dining/kitchen area next. Pam and her husband David had chosen all of the furniture in this area together, for a previous home. Although it is all extremely good quality, the dining chairs, bar stools and armchairs are all in black leather – a masculine and somewhat dark look. There are also a number of black elements in the side tables and entrance foyer that may need to be reconsidered. Pam and David had also together chosen a lovely warm yellow-toned wood for the dining table, large coffee table and sideboard. Pam wants to retain these pieces, as well as the newish patterned fabric sofas, but replace the dark leather items. We talk this plan through; obviously replacing the lot would be easier from a design perspective as we could simply refurnish the entire area with matching, high-quality furniture. However keeping the wooden pieces is Pam’s preference, and so we discuss fabric vs leather, light vs dark, custom made vs off-the-shelf. I feel that we should avoid pieces with wood elements, as the finish on the existing wood pieces has aged and settled. Matching it will be nearly impossible, so best to just avoid wood finishes if we can. I am starting to get a feel for Pam’s preferences and recognise that she likes to be able to see and feel a product before committing to buy. Good quality retails products are definitely more her comfort zone than online purchases or even custom-made items that she can’t try out before purchasing.
With all this in mind, I start planning some options for her to consider. Read my next post to learn more!
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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