Couple transform shabby old house into stunning masterpiece

An Australian couple has transformed an outdated brown brick home into a ‘modern American style farmhouse’ in just 18 months. 

Amanda Kayser, 43, and her husband Dan, 46, bought the riverside Perth property in November 2022 after six months of searching for the ‘right one’ and quickly got to work. 

The two-storey house was trapped in the late 80s with its scattered floorplan of multiple small rooms, salmon pink bathrooms, shabby curtains, and dark terracotta tiles. 

Now the property, which sits on a 950sqm block, looks picture perfect with features including a pool, outdoor deck, four bedrooms, a huge backyard, high ceilings and a stone fireplace. 

It’s estimated the couple have added an eye-watering $1million in value following the ‘mammoth’ renovation and it’s now their family residence. 

‘When we first saw it and stepped inside we knew exactly what we wanted to do,’ Amanda told FEMAIL. 

‘We know the style we like and know how to make a house feel homey by using different colours, materials and textures.’

The Perth couple are not beginners when it comes to renovating properties – in fact, this is their twelfth conversion.

In 2020 they spent the ‘whole year renovating’ to transform a 1940s house into a spacious three-level oasis. Before starting the project, the family-of-four were living in a rental.

Comparatively this latest project was far more challenging due to the size and structure.

‘This is definitely the biggest project we’ve ever tackled,’ Amanda said. ‘We had a deadline to move out of our rental and had to get the house ready for us to move in, but my husband and I thrive under pressure.’

Amanda has an interior design business and experience in project management while Dan has building skills – making them the prefect team. Amanda’s dad, who’s a retired builder, also helped with construction. 

‘I project managed the whole thing and we chose the colours, tiling, material and cabinets we wanted,’ Amanda said. 

When curating the look, she used mood boards to pull all her ideas together and took inspiration from Pinterest. 

To keep costs low, they did some construction and DIY work, such as removing the ‘ugly’ terracotta tiles. 

The floorplan was tweaked slightly and the plumbing was barely touched to minimise costs further.

‘The home was very grand for its time but functionally it didn’t make sense anymore. There were lots of small rooms and we wanted to streamline the floorplan a bit better,’ Amanda said.

Eight doors were removed and walls were removed to create an open-plan living space. Upstairs a big indoor spa room was demolished and turned into an office space.

As you step into the home you’re greeted by the staircase and through the barnyard sliding doors on the left awaits a living room. 

Natural white was used throughout the home on walls and cabinets with accents of oak and stone.

The new kitchen features a double oven and stovetop, ample bench space, a large island and double fridge. The kitchen is part of the open plan dining space which looks out to the backyard.

The styling choices make the home feel lush and luxurious, and the big windows welcome in natural sunlight to make the rooms appear larger.

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When asked what advice she would give to other Aussies looking to renovate, Amanda listed a few key points. 

‘Do you research and plan as much as you can. A lot of people underestimate how much work and money goes into renovating and it can be really overwhelming,’ she said. 

‘Be clear on your vision and get quotes from different tradespeople. Find people you can trust to work with.’ 

If you opt for a full renovation, also make sure the design is ‘cohesive’. 

‘You need to go the extra mile with full renovations because you want the house to feel like a new built, not an existing build with an extension,’ she added.