Sydney artist Dina Broadhurst and her partner, Max Shepherd, are far from your typical renters.
When the local couple moved in as tenants to their rustic Vaucluse property two years ago, they didn’t let a lease stop them from transforming the five-bedroom, three-bathroom harbourfront space.
In just under two weeks of “around-the-clock hard work”, the two-storey home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs – which boasts panoramic water views and tiered gardens and also serves as Ms Broadhurst’s workspace – was transformed.
That fortnight was spent ripping out the old lino kitchen floor and the other rooms’ carpets to uncover timber floorboards; spraying the kitchen cupboards with a matt black tone and painting the rest of home’s surfaces – the doors, windows, ceiling and walls – white.
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“The property was quite unliveable and looking back I can’t believe that we managed to pull it off,” Ms Broadhurst told the Daily Mail.
“It was actually a huge project and a massive workload but when I first walked in I just had that naivety of a child to get it done.”
The owners of the property were ready to knock it down before the couple revealed their plans.
“It was in a state of disrepair and it wasn’t something they could put money into, so we were their perfect match,” Ms Broadhurst, who has experience as an interior designer while her partner works in the building sector, said.
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In a nod to her Italian Australian heritage, they’ve named the property CASA Studio (meaning House Studio), and Ms Broadhurst plans to host art shows and events there in the near future – with the renovation costs more like a business investment.
“I really want to show art in a different way so I’m definitely going to do some shows of my own art at CASA Studio, as well as other artists that I admire and love,” she said.
“The space gives a feeling of energy. It’s very pop and very colourful and it’s in your face. It’s very contemporary mixed with historic. That’s a combination I’m very drawn to.
“I just love keeping the old bones of places and injecting a totally new life to it. It’s very invigorating and very inspiring.”
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