First Home Fabulous: What I learned and what I'd do differently

Watch Carly Anne Kenneally’s renovating journey in our six-part series, First Home Fabulous.

Carly Anne shares the trials and tribulations of her first-home buying and renovating experience, with a little help from her mum – interior designer and The Block judge Shaynna Blaze.

It’s taken me nine months of weekends (plus a cheeky few weeks of annual leave) to get the apartment to this point – all while working full-time. It hasn’t been a solo mission, though.

As you’ve seen throughout this series, none of this would have been possible without my family and friends occasionally sacrificing their own weekends to help me bring it all together.

Most Saturday mornings over the past year started with a coffee in hand, squinting at walls and corners, mentally running over my to-do list.

I’d ask myself, “What’s achievable this week? How can I make it happen with the resources and money I have?”

My dad might have grumbled about it, but I know he secretly loved the bonding time. It was a refreshing change from our usual dinners, and now we have these cherished moments together making my home.

Since Domain visited six months ago, I’ve already made a few changes – because let’s be real, a home is never really finished, is it?

I added a small desk at the end of the hall, which conveniently overlooks the window. That meant relocating the buffet to sit next to the couch. While I would have loved to have discovered this layout sooner, that’s the nature of vintage shopping – your pieces turn up when they turn up.

When I sit on the balcony with a tea or cocktail, looking back inside to my home, I am so proud of myself. I’d never tackled a project like this before.

I’ve never been that confident in how things should fit together and how to arrange them. You might assume, given Mum being Mum, that interior design knowledge is in my DNA, but it doesn’t come naturally to me.

I’ve just had a head start from growing up in her world. Yes, I have had the luxury of an occasional call to the “Mumma Hotline”, but I still had to find my own way. Our tastes are quite different, in the greatest way, and this was something I needed to do myself.

There are things that worked – like the vintage wallpaper that I’ll never stop swooning over – and things that didn’t, like those infamous white floors.

But the real win is what I’ve learned about my style, my abilities, and my patience. I’ve built skills that I can carry into my next project, and I’ve let go of the idea of perfection.

The untouched balcony is next on the list. I’m dreaming of a European vibe with cascading bougainvillea, a thriving lemon tree, and passionfruit vines.

The best part of owning my mini abode is this: every weekend, I wake up, make a coffee, and settle into my pink velvet couch. I’m surrounded by rainbows from my mirrored wall, and I feel like I am the Queen. I laugh out loud because it’s all just so perfect in its imperfect way.

Five tips for a home makeover on a budget

1. Work with what you’ve got.
   Start by assessing what already has good bones and needs only a little TLC. Sometimes, the bare minimum can have the biggest impact.
2. Start small.
   Build your confidence with smaller tasks before tackling the big-ticket projects.
3. Have a plan, but stay flexible.
   The best designs often evolve as you go. Be open to changes and surprises.
4. Take your time.
   Rushing almost always costs more – both in money and time.
5. Experiment and have fun.
   Treat your space as a canvas. If it’s your first time, don’t splurge on major design pieces. Make a few mistakes, figure out your style, and then invest when you’re ready.