Three Best Friends With An Eye For Interior Design Have Revealed How They Transformed A Rundown Old Cottage In North-west Sydney In Just Eight Weeks On A Budget - And Their Styling Secrets

Three best friends with an eye for interior design have revealed how they transformed a rundown old cottage in north-west Sydney in just eight weeks on a budget - and their styling secrets.
Bonnie, Erin and Lana form the team, and they have spent the past five years flipping people's homes and turning them into stylish escapes.
Their latest project, dubbed House 12, came about after a family in Windsor asked the friends to turn their dated old cottage into something more modern for their family of four.
'Our vision for House 12 was to create a Contemporary Cottage that pays homage to the history of the area but that embraces the practicalities of modern family life,' Bonnie told FEMAIL.
So how did they do it?
AFTER: Three best friends with an eye for interior design have revealed how they transformed a rundown old cottage in north-west Sydney in just eight weeks
BEFORE: Their latest project, dubbed House 12, came about after a family in Windsor asked the friends to turn their dated old cottage into something more modern for their family of four
Bonnie, Erin and Lana (pictured) form the Three Birds Renovation team, and they have spent the past five years flipping people's homes and turning them into stylish escapes
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AFTER: The Three Birds said you need to look at what you can reuse and recycle where possible; they changed an old garden shed into an outdoor bar area (pictured)
First things first, the Three Birds said you absolutely must look at what you have and 'reuse and recycle where possible'.
'Instead of replacing the old roof tiles, we had them reconditioned and painted, and the result is a roof that looks brand new,' Erin said. 
They also re-purposed the garden shed into an outdoor bar so they didn't have to buy or create a brand new bar.
BEFORE: They also said you should examine the structure of a house and figure out what needs to be kept and removed
AFTER: 'Consider creating an opening in a wall where possible, perfect-basements instead of removing the entire wall.

Working within the confines of an existing floor plan will save you valuable dollars too'
Once this was done, the Three Birds said they examined the structure of the house and decided what they could keep and what they needed to remove:
'Structural walls are expensive - so only do this when necessary!' Lana said.
'Consider creating an opening in a wall where possible, instead of removing the entire wall.

Working within the confines of an existing floor plan will save you valuable dollars too.' 
The friends did this to open up the living and dining area and let the natural light flood in. 
They also updated all of the appliances in the kitchen and brought them into the 21st century, opting for an Electrolux oven and dishwasher because it is 'entirely integrated into the cabinetry' and looks stylish as well as being efficient.
BEFORE: One of the major areas where the Three Birds spent their cash was on stone benchtops, which they said are always worth the money
AFTER: The reason why they said they like to invest in decent benchtops is because they are both great quality and very stylish
One of the main ways you can update your home on a shoestring is with a lick of paint, Lana said, which is often described as 'liquid gold' by renovators and decorators alike.
'We painted not only the walls, but also old pieces of furniture to give them a new lease of life,' she said.
They also bought lots of furniture from discount stores, including a French door set which leads to the garden from Bunnings Warehouse and wardrobes from IKEA, which they later added boutique handles to.
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatLHS femail" data-version="2" id="mol-005247c0-31eb-11eb-9751-2d8287aa1285" website best friends transformed run-down old cottage in just EIGHT WEEKS