Expert Renovators, Hunting for George, Reveal Their Latest Lorne Project

“We wanted to retain the nostalgic warm charm of the existing beach house, whilst applying a modern touch throughout the interiors. We combined both warm and cool tones throughout the house to create a neutral base to work from and then accentuated with pockets of eucalyptus green. The kitchen and laundry needed to feel nostalgic whilst at the same time being modern and functional,” explains Lucy.

Whilst the duo are no strangers to a DIY renovation, different to their last, this project was a full rebuild and renovation from start to finish to suit a growing and busy family, with different spaces to accommodate three generations and certainly had its challenges.

“Building during Covid, it was difficult to get products, materials and deliveries on time and not to mention labour shortage. As we weren’t building in a major city, we had limited access to skilled trades and had to do quite a lot of jobs ourselves.

“Time management and planning for delays like these is crucial for a big project, especially when doing some of the work yourself. Create a program or schedule, share it with all involved and keep it up to date regularly – communication is the key. Make sure everyone is on board and across how it’s going to work before the project kicks off,” says Lucy.

Here, Hunting for George share their tips on how to ensure your kitchen is fit for wherever the future takes you.

1. THINK ABOUT THE PURPOSE

Anything you select for your home needs to be able to fit the needs of you and your family. We are housing three generations (and growing!), so kitchen cabinetry needed be functional – for now and for the future. To maximise storage, we ensured the base cabinetry wrapped around the entire kitchen island and opted for an integrated Electrolux dishwasher to achieve a seamless finish.

2. DON’T FORGET ABOUT SIZE, SPACE AND CAPACITY

Make sure to choose appliances that will suit you and your space beyond the next five years. Are you only catering for only two people, or do you need to consider the potential for a bigger family down the track? Think about space, size and capacity that is appropriate beyond just now. The original oven in the kitchen was tiny, with no head height or room to function effectively. We decided to open this up into a cavity, extending both width to fit a 90cm Freestanding Oven, and the height of shelves in order to keep the original feature but make it more functional.

3. INVEST IN QUALITY APPLIANCES THAT WILL STAND THE TEST OF TIME

A saying we always think about when it comes to appliances is buy cheap, buy twice. Appliances are always an investment area for us, while we can save money in other areas of the renovation, like painting ourselves. Make sure to choose appliances early on in the design process so when it comes to install, you have exact measurements to support seamless integration into cabinetry for a timeless look.

Paid partnership with Hunting with George

Hunting For George’s Lorne House features the following Electrolux appliances:

Kitchen

• 609L UltimateTaste 900 French Door Refrigerator (EHE6899BA)
• 60cm Fully Integrated Dishwasher (ESL69200RO)
• 90cm Canopy Rangehood (ERC925DSD)
• 90cm UltimateTaste 900 Electric Freestanding Cooker (EFEP956DSE)*
• 25L Freestanding Combination Microwave (EMF2529DSD)

Laundry

• 10kg UltimateCare 900 Front Load Washer, AutoDose (EWF1041R9WB)*
• 9kg Heat Pump Dryer, Wi-Fi Enabled (EDH903BEWA)
• 10kg/6kg UltimateCare 700 Washer Dryer Combo with SensorWash (EWW1042R7WB)*
• 425L UltimateTaste 500 Bottom Freezer Refrigerator (EBE4507BC)

Credits:

• Project: @HuntingforGeorge / Hunting for George
• Interior Design & Styling: @LucyGladeWright Lucy Glade-Wright
• Photography & Video: @Summer_Slay Jonno Rodd

*Updated model listed