8 GARNET STREET, BRUNSWICK.
The ins and outs of how we think during a renovation.
Every so often a project comes along that reminds us why we do this. 8 Garnet Street, Brunswick is exactly that. It's one of the biggest renovations we've taken on, and honestly, we've enjoyed every part of the ride. We can't wait to see the family who eventually calls this home.
Why Brunswick?
Brunswick has always been one of those suburbs that just works. For families, for lifestyle buyers, for anyone who wants inner-city energy without giving up a sense of community. It's tree-lined streets sitting minutes from Sydney Road's cafés, restaurants and independent shops, with strong schools, parks and transport links that make daily life genuinely easy. It's the kind of suburb where heritage character and modern living sit side by side, which made it the perfect backdrop for what we had planned.
Keeping the Heritage, Extending the Modern.
With 8 Garnet Street, the approach was about respecting what was already there while building for how a family actually lives today. We retained the heritage façade, the character that gives the street its charm and the home its identity, and extended out the back with a bold, modern addition. It's a renovation style we love: honour the original, and let the new work speak its own language rather than trying to imitate the old.
Design That Belongs to the Street.
The design wasn't chosen in isolation, it was chosen for Brunswick. Colours and materials were selected to bring out the uniqueness of the home while still feeling like it belongs on that street, in that pocket of the suburb. That's a big part of what we bring to every project: understanding not just what looks good, but what looks right for the area.
The Home Itself.
We built this one out to five bedrooms, three bathrooms, with a double-storey extension at the rear. A scale that makes it a genuine family home, with the space to grow into it rather than outgrow it.
Who Made It Happen.
This project came together in collaboration with TP Built Group as builders and DOOD Studio Architects, who helped shape the concept. Getting the right people around a project like this matters, and this team delivered. Also a big thank you to all the trades and people who helped bring this together - this is the community we thrive on!
Renovating for the Buyer, Not for Us.
Here's the thing we always come back to: we don't renovate homes based on what we like. We renovate for the buyer. With over 100 renovations behind us, we've learned what appeals, what holds value, and what a family actually needs from a home, and we manage every build around that, not our own taste.
What We Look For When Choosing a Home to Renovate.
That discipline starts before a single wall comes down. It starts at the point we're deciding whether a property is even worth renovating in the first place. A few things we always weigh up:
The area itself — is it a suburb people genuinely want to live in, and does it have room to grow in value.
The Access — How easy is it for homeowners to get in and out of the property, along with how easy the site is to work with. Because poor access can quietly blow out a construction budget before the design is even finalised. Whether there's a laneway, and whether that means good rear access or a real constraint we need to design around.
The garage — for us, this is close to a must-have. Whether it already exists or needs to be built in, it has to be part of the project, because it's one of the things buyers consistently expect.
It's this combination. The right property, the right design for the area, and a team that knows how to deliver it , which turns a renovation into a home someone will actually want to live in.