When design blogger Geneva Vanderzeil and her partner, architect and interior designer Ben McCarthy, purchased their first house together in Brisbane, Australia, there was no denying the property needed a lot of work. Amped for the challenge, the design duo rolled up their sleeves and conducted an extensive DIY renovation, remodeling the rundown 1871 cottage into a charming, open-plan home with a versatile kitchen.

“More so than ever, the kitchen is an area for gathering and socializing, so when we started planning the renovation for this cottage, I knew that we needed to turn the kitchen into a focal point for the whole project,” says Vanderzeil. Scroll ahead to learn more about the revamp.

Before:

The original floor plan featured only a few small rooms which were all a bit dark, so the couple worked on opening up the home to bring in more natural light while also retaining as much of the property's historic character as possible.

“Creating this space required a lot of changes at the back of the house," explains Vanderzeil. "First the house was raised and the existing deck was removed. Then, we took out the back wall of the house. Once that was done, and an extension was added, we had a big, open space to play with. We connected the outdoor patio area, the kitchen, dining, and the living lounge into one big room, so the house [now] feels a lot bigger.”

After:

Project Credits:

Architecture and interior design: Charlie & Rose / @charlieandrose

Photography: Geneva Vanderzeil, A Pair & A Spare / @apairandaspare