![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Shelley Craft used her years of experience hosting The Block to turn around her own nine-week challenge renovating her dream beach shack.
TV star Shelley Craft of The Block has pulled off the ultimate renovation transforming a 70-year-old fibro beach shack on a tight budget in just nine weeks.
The much loved Aussie TV personality and her husband Christian Sergiacomi took a fibro surf shack and turned it into a chic coastal pad that they’ve affectionately nicknamed ‘The Little Blue House’.
MORE: Susie O’Neill lists riverfront ‘wow’ home
Clive Palmer buying out the neighbours
Happiness rising as sellers get higher prices than expected
BEFORE: How the fibro home looked pre-renovation.
With a nine-week deadline, Ms Craft set about her own challenge to pull off a quirky, stylish renovation on time and under budget.
”We have replaced every wall and ceiling, as well as the entire external cladding. This 70-year-old home that once had a very tired look to it, has had a total refresh while maintaining the character and charm of the original,” she said.
Her biggest challenge was how to tackle the ageing fibro without compromising the 1950s look and feel they wanted to maintain.
DURING: The exterior was stripped.
“Although I am a huge fan of ‘retro’, there is always a level of comfort and modern living that you need to consider when renovating. So our choice of colour and styling is a nod to mid century in 2020,” Ms Craft said.
“We were determined to keep the cottage looking as original as possible, so we chose to reclad the exterior frame in Cemintel and add the battens to recreate the 1950s style,” she said.
DURING: The exterior frame was reclad with Cemintel.
“We had a really limited budget and I was incredibly surprised at the cost effectiveness of the Cemintel cladding. So much so, that we could afford to do the exterior of the adjacent garage as well, all within budget.”
“Removing old fibro can certainly have the ability to scare people off a renovation project, but knowing that you can reclad your home with a superior product within a tight budget is amazing.”
AFTER: A softer feel to the exterior with walls set to stand the test of time.
Having lived weatherboard homes with paper thin walls most of her life, soundproofing the walls inside was also essential.
“One of the key challenges for Pacifico Cottage was due to it being a small home,” she said of the Byron Bay property.
“With one open plan living area and shared common walls for all bedrooms, we needed to ensure that sound travelling and unwanted noise was reduced as much as possible.”
“Therefore, finding the right plasterboard product that provided the solution to this was imperative, and helped us deliver a sense of privacy for everyone residing in the different rooms.”
BEFORE: One of the bedrooms pre-renovation.
AFTER: White adds brightness and pastels add comfort inside the home.
She used Gyprock options for walls, ceilings and wet rooms like the bathroom and laundry.
“From Superceil for our ceilings to Superchek for the walls and Aquachek in the wet areas, Gyprock had our project covered. And it’s Australian-made.”
The change was worth it, with the soundproofing helping provide privacy and helping the acoustics of the home.
AFTER: Gyprock products helped boost the acoustics of the home.
“You cannot hear a peep through the walls,” she said. “The density of the sheeting really gives an extra sense of strength to the build and a very solid feel to the property, handling bumps and dings much better than the standard.”
With the structure covered, Ms Craft’s plan was to add lightness and brightness with colour.
Pastels rule the roost outside, adding to the beachside chic of the home now.
“The home was a striking blue colour when we bought it and we wanted to have some fun this time around, so we’ve chosen to stick with that colour palette but opt for a more subdued blue.”
AFTER: New seating was added, with wood elements providing warmth.
AFTER: The home has beachside chic.
Inside the restructured home was kept clean and white, to boost natural light and add to the seaside feel.
She also used natural timber throughout the home to add warmth to rooms such as the dining and living area via the floors, tables, seating and cabinetry.
AFTER: Styling focused on plants, natural wood and pastels.
Indoor plants, textured throws and multi-level seating in the lounge lifted the areas softness and comfort level and made the space functional.
“When you build or renovate you have to think about the long term wearability, liveability and longevity of your hard work,” Mr Craft said.
“We love this little home and know that we have created a very special place that will stand the test of time.”
The next season of The Block begins August 23.
FOLLOW SOPHIE FOSTER ON FACEBOOK