The Design Files: How interior designer Therese Carrodus achieved the impossible

Who: Interior designer Therese Carrodus of Full of Grace Interiors

Where: South Yarra, Vic

What: Renovated semi-detached cottage

When renovating her compact South Yarra home, interior designer Therese Carrodus achieved the seemingly impossible, turning two bedrooms into three, and one bathroom into two.

This significant expansion was achieved with the design of an extension incorporating new kitchen, living and dining space with study nook, as well as a clever relocation of the home’s front entrance.

While undertaking these structural changes, Carrodus also seized the opportunity to update every other room in the house.

That meant new bathrooms, interior finishes, and new cabinetry throughout. She doesn’t do things by halves. Now accommodating a busy young family of four (with husband Chris, daughter Rosie and baby boy Barnaby), this clever renovation utilises every inch of space to its fullest.

First and foremost, Carrodus’ big challenge here was maximising the compact footprint to accommodate the varied requirements of her young family.

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Set on one level, her revised layout provides ultimate flexibility, offering a semi-concealed kitchen, versatile study nook revealed via a large sliding door, and bespoke joinery in the living room which can also be closed to conceal the television.

Acting as her own client/interior designer/project manager/site manager and daily courier all in one was a significant challenge for Carrodus, especially as she was pregnant with her second child at the time. “Project managing the build was very much a full-time job, and by far the most challenging aspect of creating our new home,” she says.

Still, the project was completed just on time, with the family moving in two days before Christmas in 2015.

Aside from tackling major structural changes, Carrodus also relished the opportunity to source key furniture pieces and artwork for her carefully considered home.

She’s particularly fond of her mid-century barstools found on eBay, and re-upholstered in a robust outdoor fabric. Another favourite piece is the bold geometric artwork by artist Zac Koukoravas, which perfectly complements the home’s bold, contemporary colour scheme.

The Design Files guide to refining your palette

Whether tackling a big renovation, or one room, take time to refine your palette before starting.

• Assess the existing parameters. Which colours and materials already exist in the space, and how can these be integrated into the new scheme?
• Collate images of spaces that speak to you. Note common threads, colours and materials you are consistently drawn to.
• Create a mood board. Gather paint samples and material swatches.
• Bring large samples into the rooms you’re updating at various times of day – paint swatches as well as fabrics, tiles, benches, cabinetry finishes and flooring.