See My Vision

When Steph and her husband purchased a new property in October 2019, the solid brick house in West Pymble on the north shore of Sydney was ripe for renovation, which is what the couple were keen to do.

Explains Steph, “People often recommend that you live in a home for at least a year before renovating so you get a real feel for the property and how you will live in it, but this seemed like a lifetime for me. However the year passed in the blink of an eye.”

They started planning the renovation in July 2020 and the renovation kicked off in March 2021.

“Being in a lovely leafy area away from the coast, I was really focused on creating a Modern Farmhouse style home. The house really didn’t lend itself to a contemporary aesthetic, so the vision I had was clear,” adds Steph.

Having followed Kate Walker and KWD via Instagram for some time, Steph knew that Kate worked with a wide variety of aesthetics, but she had kept a keen eye on Kate’s Beechwood home which exemplified a Modern Farmhouse feel.

When Kate launched KWD&Co. and the Access consultation opportunity, Steph flagged it as an option for when the time was right. Says Steph, “When the renovation started to come together, I reached out to KWD&Co. to see how the Access process worked, and it seemed like a really great fit for what we wanted to do.”

Having collected images and inspiration for the design style she loved and having a really clear vision of what she wanted to create, really helped Steph to make the most of the KWD&Co. Access consultation.

Being such a large project and Steph’s first home renovation, it was both very exciting and quite daunting. And that’s why she really wanted someone like KWD&Co. to hold her hand through the process. Having two small children and running their own businesses meant they were time poor, and they didn’t want to stress about what shade of white to paint the interior. Explains Steph, “I knew what I wanted, but having the design team focus me on exactly the right shade of every paint colour meant I didn’t even have to try different paint swatches. They knew exactly what I needed.”

Steph then decided to purchase a second KWD&Co. Access consultation (as a two-hour consult) “to smash out the design of the kitchen.” Being positioned in the centre of the home and requiring a large budget, they didn’t want to make poor decisions that they would later regret.

“During the consultation the design team helped us with the space planning of the joinery which was really fantastic, and they guided us with lighting choices and the hard finishes. They could see exactly what we wanted to create and helped us make those important decisions with confidence and clarity. Their endorsement that I was on the right track made everything feel so much simpler and straight forward.”

There is still a fair bit of work to do with the landscaping, which is a process of time, but they can now sit back and enjoy what they have created and feel proud of all they have achieved. “It’s so wonderful to finally live in a beautiful, functional home,” says Steph.

“I would advise anyone undertaking their own renovation to book a KWD&Co. Access consultation. It definitely helped us to achieve the home we dreamt of. Honing in on what you want for specific areas of the home and having a list of questions will ensure you make the most of your time with the KWD design team.”

Steph and her family definitely have plans to renovate again sometime in the future, but for now they’re going to sit back, relax and enjoy what they have created.

Book your KWD&Co. Access consultation here: https://kwdandco.com.au/kwd-access.html