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6 Beautiful Home Renovations That Were Born on Houzz
See how a good working relationship between homeowner and professional can transform a property
Have you ever fallen in love with the work of a particular designer on Houzz and wondered what it might be like to work with them on your own property? These homeowners took the leap and turned that dream into a reality by hiring their favourite professionals though Houzz to help transform their homes. Here’s how they got on.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
To see more great projects where the homeowner found their professional via Houzz, take a look at our Born on Houzz series.
2. A clever reimagining of a Victorian terrace
This Victorian terraced house in south London is the first home the family have owned and they wanted to get it right. “They were seeking professional help so their future home truly felt like home,” Sybille Garnier Le Mené of Into interior design says. “They found me on Houzz and we instantly connected – we had a lot in common in terms of taste and style preferences.”
Faced with a house untouched for some 40 years, the new owners were looking for guidance on everything from colours to layout. “They wanted an informal, comfortable and cosy atmosphere – a house easy to live in with young children and, of course, very functional,” Sybille says.
Sybille’s solution was to give the usual Victorian ground floor layout a twist. She sited a smart kitchen in the reception room at the front of the house and created a gorgeously light living space with garden views at the back that works well for the young family of four who live here.
So what do the owners think of the results? “We are very happy with the finished home,” they say. “Sybille helped us to find the right layout, storage, colours and furniture in order for us to have our dream house.”
See the whole of this redesigned space.
This Victorian terraced house in south London is the first home the family have owned and they wanted to get it right. “They were seeking professional help so their future home truly felt like home,” Sybille Garnier Le Mené of Into interior design says. “They found me on Houzz and we instantly connected – we had a lot in common in terms of taste and style preferences.”
Faced with a house untouched for some 40 years, the new owners were looking for guidance on everything from colours to layout. “They wanted an informal, comfortable and cosy atmosphere – a house easy to live in with young children and, of course, very functional,” Sybille says.
Sybille’s solution was to give the usual Victorian ground floor layout a twist. She sited a smart kitchen in the reception room at the front of the house and created a gorgeously light living space with garden views at the back that works well for the young family of four who live here.
So what do the owners think of the results? “We are very happy with the finished home,” they say. “Sybille helped us to find the right layout, storage, colours and furniture in order for us to have our dream house.”
See the whole of this redesigned space.
3. Finding a balance between modern and traditional
The owners of this flat in south London wanted to keep the period features and mood, but create a warm and well-functioning home for their young family. Searching through pros on Houzz, they saw just the delicate balance between modern and traditional they were looking for in the projects on interior designer Maya Salfati’s profile and got in touch.
Maya has, if anything, given the flat more of a period feel than it had before. She’s incorporated design ideas that increase function and comfort while retaining that traditional mood, from fitting sockets for charging inside an old cupboard to using classic tiles in a modern way and carving out a hidden dressing room.
It’s no surprise to find the owners are happy with their refreshed home. “They like it very much and have recommended me to their friends,” Maya says. “They love that we opened up the living room and kitchen, and say [the flat] is very comfortable and everything is well thought through, such as having sockets where they need them. They really enjoy living here.”
Explore more of this flat in a semi-detached Edwardian house.
Planning to revamp a room – or more? It’s easy to find and hire interior designers through Houzz.
The owners of this flat in south London wanted to keep the period features and mood, but create a warm and well-functioning home for their young family. Searching through pros on Houzz, they saw just the delicate balance between modern and traditional they were looking for in the projects on interior designer Maya Salfati’s profile and got in touch.
Maya has, if anything, given the flat more of a period feel than it had before. She’s incorporated design ideas that increase function and comfort while retaining that traditional mood, from fitting sockets for charging inside an old cupboard to using classic tiles in a modern way and carving out a hidden dressing room.
It’s no surprise to find the owners are happy with their refreshed home. “They like it very much and have recommended me to their friends,” Maya says. “They love that we opened up the living room and kitchen, and say [the flat] is very comfortable and everything is well thought through, such as having sockets where they need them. They really enjoy living here.”
Explore more of this flat in a semi-detached Edwardian house.
Planning to revamp a room – or more? It’s easy to find and hire interior designers through Houzz.
4. A kitchen redesign filled with warmth and personality
The owners of this Edwardian house in north-west London felt their existing kitchen didn’t really reflect their style. Unsure quite how best to rejig it, they looked to Houzz, where they came across the profile of interior designer Jo Kaur Llogarajah of Studio JKL and liked her approach.
The owners had seen another of Jo’s kitchen redesigns on Houzz and really liked it. “They messaged me directly through the website, having seen my profile,” Jo says. “They were renting nearby and it was before they got the keys. They wanted to see what was possible.
“We instantly connected and they were drawn to what they described as my personable approach and understanding of the home being an intimately personal space, rather than promoting a ‘house style’,” she says. “The family are from Senegal and wanted their heritage incorporated into the design.
“The brief was to create a space with more colour and pattern and they sourced artworks from Senegal,” she says. The family lived out during the works and this helped Jo to get the job finished in less than six weeks from receiving the brief.
Take a tour of this kitchen to see the finished result.
The owners of this Edwardian house in north-west London felt their existing kitchen didn’t really reflect their style. Unsure quite how best to rejig it, they looked to Houzz, where they came across the profile of interior designer Jo Kaur Llogarajah of Studio JKL and liked her approach.
The owners had seen another of Jo’s kitchen redesigns on Houzz and really liked it. “They messaged me directly through the website, having seen my profile,” Jo says. “They were renting nearby and it was before they got the keys. They wanted to see what was possible.
“We instantly connected and they were drawn to what they described as my personable approach and understanding of the home being an intimately personal space, rather than promoting a ‘house style’,” she says. “The family are from Senegal and wanted their heritage incorporated into the design.
“The brief was to create a space with more colour and pattern and they sourced artworks from Senegal,” she says. The family lived out during the works and this helped Jo to get the job finished in less than six weeks from receiving the brief.
Take a tour of this kitchen to see the finished result.
5. A room-by-room renovation
The owners of this detached house in Surrey found Lucy Henderson of My Bespoke Room on Houzz and initially hired her to redesign their living room.
After building up a good relationship, however, they asked if she’d work on other rooms in their home, too. “We started in the living room and worked our way around,” Lucy says. “The office was the third space to tackle.”
A quick scan through the before shots of this office space reveal a good-sized room with heaps of potential that was nevertheless under-performing.
Having received a brief, photos of the space and a sketched plan from the owner, Lucy drew up a new floor plan and pulled together the look, calling the owner frequently until the layout, palette and key items were agreed. “It’s a very collaborative process,” she says.
Take a look around the whole of the finished room.
The owners of this detached house in Surrey found Lucy Henderson of My Bespoke Room on Houzz and initially hired her to redesign their living room.
After building up a good relationship, however, they asked if she’d work on other rooms in their home, too. “We started in the living room and worked our way around,” Lucy says. “The office was the third space to tackle.”
A quick scan through the before shots of this office space reveal a good-sized room with heaps of potential that was nevertheless under-performing.
Having received a brief, photos of the space and a sketched plan from the owner, Lucy drew up a new floor plan and pulled together the look, calling the owner frequently until the layout, palette and key items were agreed. “It’s a very collaborative process,” she says.
Take a look around the whole of the finished room.
6. A total transformation with a trusted team
When a young couple bought this family home in east London, it was in a serious state of disrepair, but they knew exactly who to contact to help them transform it.
The couple had found Big Bean Construction on Houzz a few years ago and hired the firm to renovate a property they’d previously owned. So they didn’t hesitate to contact Big Bean’s Jeff Kasfikis to help them again.
Jeff worked closely with the couple and their architect to fulfil their brief of creating a restored period home with a light and airy feel, reconfigured to be family- and user-friendly.
“The house was quite dilapidated. It looked as if it hadn’t been touched in 40 years and was all out of level with no insulation,” Jeff recalls. “We took it back to bare brick.” The whole renovation took eight months to complete with a full team working flat out.
And what do the owners think of their home now? “They gave us a really nice, glowing review,” Jeff says. “[The owner] asked our opinion a lot on the architect’s plans and we did a lot of problem-solving together and would always give her lots of options. We were the bridge between them and could often come up with cost-effective solutions, which I think they really appreciated.”
Discover more about this transformation.
Tell us…
Have you worked with a professional you found on Houzz? Share your experience in the Comments.
When a young couple bought this family home in east London, it was in a serious state of disrepair, but they knew exactly who to contact to help them transform it.
The couple had found Big Bean Construction on Houzz a few years ago and hired the firm to renovate a property they’d previously owned. So they didn’t hesitate to contact Big Bean’s Jeff Kasfikis to help them again.
Jeff worked closely with the couple and their architect to fulfil their brief of creating a restored period home with a light and airy feel, reconfigured to be family- and user-friendly.
“The house was quite dilapidated. It looked as if it hadn’t been touched in 40 years and was all out of level with no insulation,” Jeff recalls. “We took it back to bare brick.” The whole renovation took eight months to complete with a full team working flat out.
And what do the owners think of their home now? “They gave us a really nice, glowing review,” Jeff says. “[The owner] asked our opinion a lot on the architect’s plans and we did a lot of problem-solving together and would always give her lots of options. We were the bridge between them and could often come up with cost-effective solutions, which I think they really appreciated.”
Discover more about this transformation.
Tell us…
Have you worked with a professional you found on Houzz? Share your experience in the Comments.
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Sometimes, patience pays off, not least when the architect you want to hire is busy. That was certainly the case for the owners of this beautiful farmhouse in Warwickshire, who came back to their professional a year after making the initial contact.
When they first found architect Lydia Robinson of Design Storey on Houzz, she was working on another project. “They’d seen a cottage we’d worked on while browsing Houzz and liked the style,” Lydia says.
A year later, they got back in touch with Lydia, who then got started on transforming their home. It was worth the wait, as she managed to create a stunning, cosy and functional new space for the couple and their two children.
Take a tour of this converted 17th century farmhouse.