Today, we're catching up with the dynamic duo Sarah (@spoonful_of_sarah) and Nic (@niccyboy). Join us as we chat all things home renovation and the highs and lows of turning a '90s time capsule into a modern haven.
To kick off their reno project, Sarah and Nic took the TileCloud Style Quiz and to their surprise, both got the same result: Mediterranean style. The outcome? A beautifully designed, warm and inviting space that still retains an overall modern, minimalist feel.
The couple were set on renovating before moving into their future family home. Sarah explains, "We bought our first home together, an original '90s build. Terracotta tiles, pale blue laminate, and dark green carpet - we wanted to make it ours before moving in."
During the renovations, Sarah and Nic were living in their previous home, working hard to transform their new space so they could move in as fast as possible
When it came to planning, Sarah had a vision, "I generally had most of the vision in my head before we began, but leaned heavily on Pinterest and screenshotting Instagram images to communicate it to others." They also did a Zoom design appointment with the TileCloud design team to ensure the products they had in mind were the right fit for the project and would also come in on budget and delivered in their tight turnaround timeframe.
The renovation took approximately two months from getting the keys. Sarah credits the speed to Nic's DIY skills, saying, "My husband is very handy and did as much DIY as he could."
Every renovation has its challenges, but for this duo, things went relatively smoothly. Sarah notes, "It's always challenging to stay within your budget once you actually get started as you start to find things you didn't know needed replacing or fixing, so that required some adapting along the way."
"The biggest challenge was probably the times where Nic and I didn't align on something but again, I think it also helps that neither of us had particularly rigid ideas about the renovation and ended up always being able to find a middle ground." Sarah shares.
Both Sarah and Nic worked full time during the renovations. Sarah explains, "The majority of the hard labour was Nic's. I helped with some plastering and a lot of painting, but my biggest contribution was the interiors once the hard work was done."
Did creative differences cause any clashes? Sarah shares, "A few times on small things, but we generally had a similar idea about what we wanted. If we butted heads, it was more how uneven the workload was in the demo/building phase!"
Their DIY journey involved hiring trades for electrical work, plumbing, floorboards, and tiling. Sarah shares, "Everything else was pretty much DIY, and we roped in a lot of our nearest and dearest along the way, which actually makes it so much lovelier at the end!"
Choosing Tiles with TileCloud
Tile selection was a breeze with TileCloud. Sarah notes, "The variety, designs, quality, and affordability all stood out immediately. It was so overwhelming at the beginning to choose suppliers when you have no background in renovation, but TileCloud has such amazing reviews, a strong presence on social media, and the team is so communicative."
We asked Sarah if she had any final words of wisdom for first-time renovators. Sarah advises, "Even with a pretty laid back vision and super flexible approach, it can still require a lot of patience and adaptability! It's a big project, and things can put pressure on you financially, physically, and emotionally but it's also such an exciting time to enjoy." which we agree is great advice
And there you have it - a glimpse into the world of @spoonful_of_sarah and @niccyboy's renovation adventure.
