Love a home renovation Before and After? We’re with you there. And how about a DIY? We’re also in…

So when the opportunity came up to home tour Maddy Evennett’s stunning, insta-worthy family home, we jumped at the chance!

Maddy Evennett is an Interior Stylist and Creative Content Creator, known on social media for sharing her DIY and room transformations. Maddy’s vast experience in the design industry, together with her husband Ben’s self-taught craftsmanship, allowed them to expertly transform their 1950s red brick fixer-upper into their beautiful dream home.

Maddy inspires others on Instagram to create a home they love and shares her top DIY tips and tricks and 5 Do’s and Don’ts with us, for room planning and styling reno success.

Maddy’s Property Wishlist

Prior to emigrating to Australia, Maddy studied and worked as an Interior Designer in London. For her new Australian home, Maddy was looking for a renovation project she could inject her creative energy and expertise into. Her property dream came to fruition when Maddy and her husband Ben, bought their current home in Australia, in 2016. When searching for properties, Maddy’s ideal home wishlist had 4 essentials:

Location — A home close to the beach where her family could enjoy a laid-back beach lifestyle, in a nice neighbourhood.
Fixer-upper — A property that they could renovate themselves and make their own. This meant good bones, plenty of potential, and good energy!
Room to grow — There had to be room for it to evolve and adapt with their growing family.
A large garden — Or at least the potential to start one!

The Key To A Calm Home

You can have an aesthetically pleasing home, but it’s the calming energy in a home that really makes your family and guests feel welcome and at ease. Creating that homely, calm feeling was an important aspect of this DIY renovation project, and this is how Maddy achieved it:

Creating a calming feeling in a home starts with a clear vision to how you want your home to feel and, based on your needs, values and goals as an individual. It is being conscious and intentional with every decision you make creating your home, from layout and flow, furniture, paint choices, artwork and textiles.
Don’t forget about landscaping! Maddy and particularly her husband Ben, whose passion is horticulture and sustainability, used thoughtful landscaping so that from every window you look out onto swaying palms and lush greenery - which are instant stress-relievers. Ben curved the garden beds which allow the eye to flow effortlessly throughout the garden with a sense of ease.
Cohesion is key — the most relaxing and comfortable homes all have rooms and spaces that flow seamlessly off each other, rooms that ooze personality and authenticity but share similar aesthetic, meaning, colour tones, textures and style, so everything feels connected and like one well-designed thoughtful home.

Start Creating Your Dream Home Design

Maddy’s 3 Favourite Rooms

As you’ve been scrolling, have you been taking note of your favourite rooms in this amazing DIY transformation? For Maddy, every room in her home holds a special place, but these are her three favourites...

Main Bedroom — Maddy’s sacred resting place and the first room she renovated in the home.
Kitchen — The heart of the home, where laughter and creative play happen every day.
Living Room — Maddy’s charming living room offers the perfect spot to read by the fire in her grandmother’s button-back chair.

What are your favourite spaces in Maddy’s home? Keep reading to see the incredible outdoor deck renovation that we are obsessed with!

5 Do’s For Planning A Room

1. Do create a design brief.

2. Do establish a budget and make a plan.

3. Do create a concept with a clear vision and mood board.

4. Do design with intention and purchase with intention! (in other words, design with what you love, and purchase things you love).

5. Do consider proportion, practicality and suitability.

6. *Bonus — Do measure! And so the saying goes…”measure twice, and cut once”.

5 Don’ts For Planning A Room

1. Don’t take action before having a plan.

2. Don’t rush it. Homes are for living, so don’t forget the big picture.

3. Don’t just copy a room or style from anyone else. Decide what you like about it, and make it your own!

4. Don’t ever forget about the importance of lighting design and how it can make or break a room.

5. Don’t finish a room on paper or all at once. Often the fine tuning and details happen when you walk into the space!

Plan Your Home Reno Like A Pro

Top 3 Styling Tips + Pieces

No renovation is complete without the finishing touches — styling and furnishing your room. Maddy says “When it comes to styling and bringing all the elements together, you not only want it to look good, but for it to feel right, too!”

A few items Maddy always styles with include…

Throws + Textiles — Think anything from a vintage textile to a simple linen fringed throw. These staple styling home decor pieces really soften and finish a space, and how you style or arrange them will affect your overall room aesthetic, eg. neatly folded or casually draped.
Coffee table books — These are not just for a coffee table! They can be styled on shelves, console tables, bedside tables, kitchen benchtops and even ottomans.
Foliage — Every room, corner or vignette needs a little life! Whether it’s a potted plant, clippings of branches from the garden, or your favourite pick from the florist, Maddy never styles a space without a touch of greenery.