When you’re a mum with a business to run – and also the “fourth bird” at Three Birds Renovations – the juggle is most definitely real. So when Sophie Bell, owner and director of bespoke creative design agency Peppa Hart Studio, and her husband Michael had the chance to build their forever home from scratch, they decided to create somewhere that provided a sanctuary for their family as well as an inspiring place for Sophie and her staff to work.
The couple bought a lush block of land in the northern hinterlands of NSW in early 2017, and immediately got planning. As digital manager for Three Birds, Sophie was able to call on the team’s expertise when designing the home, which was heavily influenced by the Mediterranean.
“Greece and Italy hold special memories for us. We wanted our home to give us the same feeling we get when we’re at a beautiful beach bar in Europe,” says Sophie. “The key features to achieving this authentic look were the rendered surfaces, arched windows and doorways, and a lot of white paint,” adds Lana Taylor, director at Three Birds Renovations. “Curves and circles added to the vibe.”
Gallery: 15 kitchen design styles to inspire (Real Living)
Concrete in the kitchen? Don’t mind if we do! Concrete is a practical, durable alternative to laminate and granite because it resists scratches and chips and can be moulded into custom shapes. Here, a seamless concrete island doubles as a dining table, while the wall-mounted shelving unit above the sink makes good use of the available space, and keeps your cookbook collection right where you need it.
Photographer: Martina Gemmola
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Trends come and go, but monochrome minimalism is here to stay. The perennial white palette is clean, calming and bright, and when contrasted with the gold accents, it feels oh-so chic. A subtle brass kickboard paired with Porta Contours timber lining boards on the island bench make a style statement.
Photography: Brock Beazley & Jack Gibson
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Think of your kitchen splashback as the perfect place to experiment with colour and pattern. Take these coloured terrazzo tiles, which add depth while an influx of natural light enhances the colourful combination. A banana yellow benchtop also makes for a fun palette in the kitchen.
Photographer: Martina Gemmola
This soulful space features a mix of natural finishes like timber and recycled oak to create a durable kitchen with a Mediterranean twist.
Photographer: Lisa Cohen
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Cane pendants add a coastal touch to this modern kitchen. Lighting often plays best supporting act, but these pendants take a leading role. A simple way to turn pendant lights into a statement feature is to place them in a row over the space you want to illuminate and choose a patterned or woven design which will cast a beautiful, diffused glow.
Photographer: Sharyn Cairns
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A marble splashback and sparkling chrome tapware add a luxe touch to this warm and inviting space. Semi-sheer curtains diffuse the light and create a more cosy kitchen space. Their gentle, draped lines balance the sharp right angles of the island, cabinets and benches.
Photographer: Maree Homer
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If you love to cook and spend time in your kitchen, its worth investing in elements that will make entertaining a breeze. Often kept out of view or overlooked, the pantry has so much potential. By replacing solid doors with glass ones, this kitchen’s pantry not only opens up the space, it transforms the way meals can be prepared. Think of it as a food-lover’s walk-in wardrobe.
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For those with a penchant for French provincial design, this contemporary kitchen is a study in how to combine the best of both. Curved ornate fittings, such as the wall lamps and decorative brass sink mixer, add charm to the cabinets’ clean, minimalist lines. A pantry door becomes a clever calendar or grocery list with a coat of chalkboard paint.
Photographer: Chris Warnes
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You can’t go wrong with an all-white kitchen. Slim, awkward spaces are made functional with shutter-front kitchen cupboards. The woodgrain is repeated on the cabinet trims to cut through the white surfaces.
Photographer: Dave Wheeler
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There’s more to sky-high ceilings than just good looks! Suspended from the rafters, this ladder creates a lofty storage solution for boards, pots and pans. When you’re not entertaining, the spare dining space can be utilised to display indoor plants.
Photographer: Nick McDonald
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Sincere Japanese design meets Scandinavian minimalism in this timber kitchen. Made with seamless hidden doors, the wall cupboards and parallel shelving are beautifully austere, while the bronze pendants and warmth of the natural woodgrain restore balance.
Photographer: Nikole Ramsay
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The original Art-Deco features of this home shine through in the kitchen, from the exposed beams to the textural brick wall. Meanwhile, an arch window provides the perfect backdrop for days spent baking and an antique rug tucked under the timber island keeps it cosy.
Photographer: Derek Swalwell
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Short on space? Take your cues from this pint-sized kitchen, which is painted floor-to-ceiling white, making the room seem far more spacious. Using light colours will also boost the brightening effect of natural light. Here, clever joinery keeps appliances like a dishwasher behind closed doors, reducing visual clutter.
Photographer: Maree Homer
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This contemporary space mixes materials to great effect. A marble splashback adds elegance to the industrial grey concrete, and delicate porcelain finishes are grounded by the timber flooring. From the sink to the stools, the neutral colour palette proves sophistication need not be subtle.
Photographer: Tess Kelly
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This low-budget kitchen reno is packed with loads of character. The light plywood storage creates a laidback vibe and the no-fuss commercial stainless steel sink is a practical addition. With all that open shelving, painting your walls white will minimise visual clutter.
Photographer: Felix Forest
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Energy-efficiency was also a high priority for Sophie and Michael, so instead of traditional brick or timber, they built the entire home from a form of high-density polystyrene called NRG Greenboard. “It’s lightweight, cost-effective and suitable for use in BAL29 fire-rated areas, because it contains fire retardant,” Lana explains. Along with its insulating properties, “it can also be shaped easily, which we did to create the arches that are integral to the design of this home, then it’s rendered for a seamless finish”.
To capture the Mediterranean vibe, exterior walls were painted with Dulux Casper White Quarter, and Dulux White on White was used throughout the interior.
The couple chose a simple floor plan for their new home, a “big rectangle” featuring a long, central hallway with bedrooms, a media room and bathrooms branching off. The hallway leads into a large, open-plan kitchen and living space, while upstairs you’ll find an epic master suite and Sophie’s enviable home office. “My office takes up almost half of the upstairs,” Sophie says. “There’s plenty of space for me and all my staff.”
She has diligently used a neutral palette throughout, along with plenty of texture. Living tumbled brass – chosen for its patina – was used for all tapware and handles, alongside timber furniture and warm, earthy tones in the bedlinen and many of Sophie’s framed photographs from her European travels.
“We didn’t want the house feeling new and modern, so we rendered as many surfaces as possible,” Sophie adds. Her verdict on the finished product? “It’s heavenly. As soon as I open the door, I instantly feel calm.”
![As digital manager for Three Birds Renovations, Sophie Bell (AKA Peppa Hart) was able to call on the team's expertise when designing her home in the northern hinterlands of NSW, which was heavily influenced by the Mediterranean. Take a look inside.](https://r.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=AwrXgCPKmjViWGwA4nPQtDMD;_ylu=Y29sbwNncTEEcG9zAzEEdnRpZAMEc2VjA3Ny/RV=2/RE=1647709003/RO=10/RU=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.msn.com%2Fen-au%2Flifestyle%2Fhome-and-garden%2Fa-mediterranean-inspired-home-in-northern-nsw-by-three-birds-renovations%2Far-AATny1K%3Fli%3DAAFzCDU/RK=2/{"default":{"load":"default","w":"27","h":"22","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AATnm0m.img?h=225&w=270&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"}})
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