Erin's Urban Farmhouse

From vision board to dream home, Erin and her partners at Three Birds Renovations envisioned transforming her tired brick home into a modern Urban Farmhouse.

Their goal was to elevate the property’s wow-factor with added street appeal while extending the porch to create a generous 5 x 12 meter covered alfresco space that effortlessly integrates indoor and outdoor entertainment areas

Setting the style.

Urban Farmhouse captures the overall aesthetic – the classic charm of a farmhouse, but with a stylish, modern, ‘urban’ edge. All the tired, twee or old-world elements you might expect in a traditional farmhouse had to go.

Starting with a vision.

Three Birds Renovations starts every project with a vision board, sourced from inspiration pics. They then reduce these down to 5-10 selects which set the tone for the overall style they want to bring to life as key aspects of the design – like windows and doors, flooring, colour palette etc.

From tired to timeless.

Fortunately, Erin’s home had great bones. But the brick exterior and terracotta roof were dated, the porch was too small and couldn't fit a dining table for entertaining, and it lacked the classic charm and character she was after.

To bring their shared vision to life, they had to make some bold choices and select the right building materials. Everything from the cladding to the windows and doors had to align to the vision.

The essential elements.

Alumiere Windows & Doors

They brought the black frames featured on the vision board to life with Stegbar Alumiere windows and doors.

Basalt Metal Roof

Choosing the roof was the biggest part of transforming the façade – you could see almost every inch of it from the street. So they chose Lysaght Snapseam steel roofing in the colour Basalt, a beautiful deep cool.

Stone Walling

An iconic feature of farmhouses, they used Artisan Exterior Calcario stone walling to bring dimension to the facade. It also adds some warmth against the grey and black of the rest of the exterior.

Timber-Look Cladding

Hardie Oblique cladding added a timeless timber texture to the exterior. The paint colour, Dulux Grey Port, tied all the elements together.                    

Making bold choices.

The black windows and doors with glazing bars were a major feature on the vision board. Replacing the existing ones was key to achieve the desired look. But in a large family home like Erin’s, they needed to find an option that would accommodate all the sizes and styles required.

That’s where Stegbar’s Alumiere Aluminium windows and doors came in. Erin chose them not only for their wide range, but also for their strong, bold profile, extensive hardware options and large panel sizes. The result was a beautifully bespoke, architectural product that fit the bill perfectly.

Why Stegbar windows and doors?

After achieving such an amazing look so easily with Stegbar windows and doors throughout House 15 (their previous project), it was an easy choice.

“After they’ve helped you pick out your dream windows and doors, their professional installation team will install them with ease.”

A standout moment with stacker doors.

Of all the memorable moments from her Urban Farmhouse transformation (and there were many), one stands out above them all – the first time Erin slid open the stacker doors from the kitchen to the living room to reveal the alfresco space of her dreams.

“Sliding open the stacker doors signify a time to socialise and relax with family and friends.”

Two key takeaways from Three Birds

1. Keep referring to the vision board to ensure you’ve captured all the essential elements in your design.
2. We find that people often don’t consider replacing doors, windows and roofs in renovations, but these elements can change the whole look of a house.

L to R: Bonnie Hindmarsh, Lana Taylor, and Erin Cayless.

So, what does Erin think?

She is over the moon with how the vision she dreamed of for many years has finally come to life.

“It is just beyond what I thought it could be.”

Looking to create a dream home to call your own? Visit your local Stegbar showroom, get in contact or call 1800 681 168