Concept Design (Interior Design Institute project) — developed with full mood boards, sample boards, and visual renders.

The Red Brick Reset - Ground Floor Concept

1950s Brick Veneer Family Home ~ Renovation to Connection

Floor plan of a house with labeled rooms including kitchen, laundry, WC, dining room, entry, living room, and study. Details of furniture and appliances are also visible.

The Brief

A family of four in a 1950s brick veneer two-storey home wanted to modernise their ground floor and create a more connected way of living. The goal: an open-plan kitchen, dining, and living zone where cooking, family time, and entertaining could happen together — without the kitchen feeling like an isolated workspace.

Scope: Renovate the entire ground floor.

Must include:

Open-plan kitchen / living / dining
Study
Laundry
Separate WC

Nice to have:

Full bathroom
Additional living / games space
Guest bedroom
Utility / mudroom

Architectural floor plan of a house with labeled rooms including kitchen, living room, dining nook, sun room, study & gaming room, mudroom, laundry, pantry, WC, central staircase, and various measurements.

The Redesign

The redesign creates a relaxed, light-filled home in summer — while still feeling cosy and grounded through winter.

The key move was relocating the kitchen to the north-east corner, giving it a larger footprint and allowing the entire ground floor to open into one cohesive kitchen/living/dining space. This layout supports real life: cooking while staying connected to kids, guests, and conversation.

“The result is a grounded, holiday-easy space — breezy when it’s warm, cocooning when it’s not.”

Key inclusions:

Separate study + powder room
Dedicated pantry + dining nook
Mudroom zone + Euro laundry + sunroom
Large island for casual dining and entertaining

To strengthen indoor–outdoor flow, the design introduces large folding glass doors to the north-facing rear wall, opening to a generous deck. A gas-strut servery window supports easy outdoor entertaining and everyday family living.

Kitchen Concept / Material Board

Collage of interior decor elements including woven pendant lights, patterned wallpaper, a wooden shelf, a brass faucet, a kitchen sink, and various wood textures.

A technical drawing of a kitchen layout with cabinets, stove, range hood, and windows.

Kitchen’s truly hold the heartbeat of the home - they deserve to be thoughtfully crafted with beautiful materiality, colour and texture.

Collection of kitchen and home decor items including a hanging straw lampshade, sink with copper faucet, wall art, potted greenery, stone cutting board, bowls, plates, jars, flowers, apples, glasses, kitchenware, and furniture pieces.

Colour Palette

Complementary Colour Harmony Group

The original artwork at right by Byron Bay artist Jai Vasicek set the tone for this chosen colour palette, inspiration drawn from a rich kaleidoscope in shades of deep olive, leaf green, pinks, purples, and zesty citrine against fresh whites and neutrals.