Selling In The City S1 Episode 2: Woolloongabba, Qld – Victorian Era Worker’s Cottage

This is the rags to riches story of an original, rundown Victorian workers’ cottage being transformed into a lush, Queensland Tropical Oasis.

The little workers’ cottage, in desperate need of repair and refurbishment, is now overlooked on all sides by modern apartments and the suburb itself has evolved into a fast-paced metropolis on one of Brisbane’s busiest roads.

It’s time for the cottage owner’s, Leah and Andrew to move – hopefully to a quieter lifestyle in the Australian bush.  However, the cottage has been valued at $900,000 and they need $1,200,000 to achieve their dream.

They call on Rosie and Paddy, from Selling in the City, to work their renovation magic – with a budget of only $60,000!

The first step is to consolidate the buildings, bringing the outhouses into the main home and using the extra room to create some modern, more luxurious attributes.

It’s important to maximise both the amount of light and the sense of space in the tiny cottage, so the couple settles on a colour palette of warm white and very soft grey with shots of rich, dark green as a nod to the lush tropical Queensland vegetation.  Wattyl I.D. Advanced Ultra Low VOC interior paint in Wattyl White is used throughout, both for its clean, crisp hue as well as its environmentally sound low VOC levels.

A contemporary kitchen is installed in the middle of the home, creating the perfect transition from the traditional front section to the newer build out the back.   The original timber floorboards are retained while new cabinetry and splashback, in a series of tone on tone greys, are installed.  The clean white of Wattyl White on all walls and ceiling provide the perfect canvas for these modern additions.

The modernised bathroom, resplendent in the lush, deep green of Wattyl Colorbond Cottage Green, perfectly matched with vertical subway tiles in the same green, creates an ambience of relaxation and wellbeing, a place to linger and soak in a soothing bath.

Outdoor living is integral to Queensland culture, so Rosie and Paddy transform the gloomy deck into another room, creating a seamless connection between indoors and out ,as well as providing much needed extra living space.  They also landscape the yard that this extra room overlooks, bringing in new turf and planting some young shrubs.

In an inspired move, they install a few beautiful sails over the lawn area to create both privacy and shade, while painting the surrounding fence in Wattyl Solagard The New Black (low sheen) – this serves to anchor the sails within the entire setting, creating a sense of balance and harmony.

If you love the idea of bringing colour into your home interior, book in a colour consultation and get started on your next paint project with Wattyl