Build your a-team for your new build or renovation.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine5 June 2023MARG. Studiorenovate, renovation plan, hundred year old home, heritage home, interior design central west nsw, home renovationComment

RENOVATE | New Year, New Home

5 easy wins to kick start your renovation or new build project this year.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine5 January 2023renovation plan, renovation, stages of building a house, building projet, building project, interior design australia, Australian designComment

RENOVATE | What to include in your floor plan?

Decisions about doors and windows made now while your house is still lines on paper will dramatically impact the end result.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine5 May 2022renovation plan, renovation mistakes, renovation checklist, home renovation, floor planComment

RENOVATE | Creating an interior design concept.

Concept | NOUN | An abstract idea.

A central theme that guides your design choices.

An idea first, brought to reality through careful planning and selection.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine18 May 2021renovation plan, renovation checklist, design and build, concept design, interior design concept, how to design your home, home design, renovateComment

RENOVATE | 5 kitchen bench materials

For those of you making selections for your kitchen you will know just how many products are out there and how tricky it can be to make these choices. The kitchen bench needs to be one of the strongest and functional material choices in your home, all while looking good!

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine8 March 2021kitchen, kitchen benches, kitchen splashbacks, kitchen designComment

RENOVATE | Checklist for DIY interior design

Tackle your DIY renovation with confidence and know how to make your interior design planning and selections go smoothly.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine11 January 2021DIY, reno, renovation, renovation plan, renovation checklist, how to renovate your house, how to renovate on a budget, budget renovation Comment

RENOVATE | How much does an interior designer cost?

How can an interior designer help and how much do they cost? The interior industry has so many professions that specialise in many different niches of home design so it’s no wonder I hear people struggling to understand how they can work with an interior designer.

It’s often an awkward thing to ask how much an interior designer’s services will cost so… here it is!

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine29 November 2020renovation, how much does an interior designer costComment

RENOVATE | Timber flooring types

Have you ever tried to choose timber flooring only to find yourself overwhelmed by the prices and types of timber available? Same! … and let’s not get started on all the different species and colours. To understand what is available I think it’s important to know the distinction between these types of timber (and timber look) flooring so you can make an informed decision between prices and brands.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine30 October 2020hard materials, timber flooring, timber floorboards, renovation, floor types, choosing timber floorsComment

RENOVATE | Choosing materials, finishes and fixtures

You’ve decided to renovate your home, how exciting but also EEK, scary!

Once you start looking at all the white paints, penny round tiles and tap ware finishes available it can dawn on you just how big this project you’ve taken on is.

I feel you, it’s hard, but here are a couple of things that might help you become unstuck.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine28 September 2020material selection, hard materials, tiles, tiles design, kitchen renovation, bathroom renovation, renovation Comment

RENOVATE | Adaptive reuse in wattle + daub houses

We are in a period of design where we are adapting traditional Australian homes to make them work for contemporary living. Early styles were more about the practicalities of living and it wasn’t until we started to import decorative styles a little later that embellishments were added (think high Victorian terrace housing). Most historical construction techniques can be traced back to a need for basic shelter using materials from the surrounding area. Wattle and daub houses are no exception.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine31 August 2020heritagehome, renovation, alterationsandadditions, heritage house, wattle and daub, Central West NSWComment

RENOVATE | Let's talk about toilets

Toilets are probably one of the most functional objects in our house. Why then can it be so tricky to get them right? I think it’s because there is a high expectation of function while at the same time the need to keep it out of sight, out of mind.

RENOVATEEmily MacAlpine3 August 2020bathroom design, bathroom renovation, bathroomsComment