I’ve been renovating for a long time. It’s in my family’s blood. We used to renovate and flip houses together. I loved renovating so much that my mate and I decided to start doing it full-time.
“My mate’s a songwriter. He’s obsessed with architecture and his brain doesn’t stop thinking about what’s next. When he’s not touring with his music, he’s always planning the next project.”
We started Kinwolf about four years ago now. It’s a design and renovation company passionate about turning homes and spaces from what might seem dated and lifeless, into something that finds a whole new lease of life, and into a dwelling that inspires creativity and health. At the end of the day, it’s not the four walls of a house that define a home, but we believe that a home can be enlivened again by transforming a space into something that will do everything you need and want it to.
ALL PHOTO CREDIT: @RIVERBENNETT
I definitely love mid-century stuff. A lot of concrete, a lot of different raw materials.
“I love matte finishes, never shiny. For my home I chose matte cabinetry, benchtops, tapware, sinks…”
Our latest project is my own family home and it’s actually a lot different to the style of our usual projects. I guess when you’re living in a house, rather than flipping it, you tend to make safer choices… more timeless, so you don’t look at your kitchen or bathroom down the track and hate it. When you’re renovating a house to sell, you can get more creative with choices because the more you do, the more amazing you can make it look for photos.
WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FROM for your own home reno?
It was actually Bonnie’s house that inspired me for this one. When you walk into her place you feel like you’re drinking a big green smoothie. It’s like all the natural light floods you with a feeling of health. And I wanted that feeling at my place too.
The house was totally run down when we bought it. We pretty much knocked out every single external wall and replaced them with glass. We took out the internal walls too, to create a massive open plan space, then moved the kitchen to centre because I always like to showcase the kitchen in a home. It’s got so much light now and a real fresh, Byron Bay feel.
Do you have a favourite Three Birds project?
It’d have to be Soph’s place, House 10. I love the flat roof, the raw materials, that lumpy render…
These are some of the Instagram accounts that inspire us the most:
+ @housesmagazine
+ @thelocalproject
+ @habitusliving
