A country dream in Gisborne, Victoria on Selling Houses Australia
When you hear ‘country dream’, you don’t imagine is being completely overwhelmed, but that’s exactly where Jeremy and Lauren found themselves in Gisborne, Victoria on Selling Houses Australia
Photography Selling Houses Australia/Lifestyle
When Jeremy and Lauren purchased this home nine years ago, they’d bought a sprawling home on 2.5 acres with incredible views and all the promise in the world. Their plan was to renovate slowly as a family, but instead, rising costs, sheer scale and a deeply confusing floorplan took over. When the house went to market, buyers walked in… and straight back out again. Eight months later, still no sale, and with both rent and a hefty mortgage to cover, the financial pressure was becoming unbearable.
“This house didn’t need more money thrown at it – it needed clarity, cohesion and confidence” ~ Interior designer Wendy Moore, Selling Houses Australia
Living room Gisborne: one floor, one story
Inside, the house felt like a rabbit warren: too many rooms, too many finishes, and absolutely no cohesion. To fix that, I unified the key living zones using Green Cape Redmont carpet from Flooring Xtra, running continuously through the living room, bedrooms and hallway. For the harder‑working areas, we used Lima Spotted Gum hard flooring, also from Flooring Xtra, to add warmth while still feeling robust and appropriate for a rural home.
With a simplified palette and consistent lighting, the main living room finally felt generous and calm – and those views could take centre stage instead of competing with visual noise.
Small changes, big impact in the Gisborne kitchen
The kitchen was one of the home’s biggest contradictions: tiny, boxed in, and sitting in the middle of a very big house. Rather than starting from scratch, we worked cleverly with what was already there. A brick wall was removed to open the kitchen to the dining room, instantly improving flow and light. Existing cabinetry was respraye and updated with Kethy HT20830 graphite knobs, and topped with new Caesarstone benchtops, extending the surface to create practical bar seating. New appliances came via Euromaid.
Lighting from Beacon Lighting, including Chrysler opal glass pendants and Eclipse Maxi LED downlights, finished the space, transforming it into a functional, welcoming heart for the home without blowing the budget.
Formerly weighed down by clutter and poor flow, this dining room now feels expansive.
Dining area in Gisborne: letting the space breathe
Once the kitchen wall came down, the meals and dining spaces could finally do their job. Removing the old bar and re‑establishing clear sightlines to the garden gave these rooms purpose at last. Styled with soft neutrals, timber accents and layered rugs, including Harlow Hunter Natural and Allure Ivory rugs from Flooring Xtra, the dining zone now feels warm, social and proportional to the home’s scale. Window dressings are from Veneta.
This once disconnected living space now feels calm, cohesive and grounded — a place buyers can instantly imagine everyday family life unfolding.
Paint, lighting and finishing
Every wall was repainted using Taubmans paints, with Island Coconut as the primary wall colour, Crisp White on ceilings, and Cotton Sheets on trims. These shades softened the home instantly and allowed the architecture and landscape to shine.
Lighting throughout came from Beacon, including Chrysler schoolhouse shades, Manor conical pendants, Sentinel track lighting, and a Fanaway Classic ceiling fan to suit the home’s generous proportions.
Styling layered in texture with cushions from KAS Australia, introducing soft greens, rusts and natural tones to subtly reference the surrounding landscape.
Transforming this wing into a dedicated parents’ retreat was a game‑changer – creating instant emotional connection for buyers.
Bedrooms in Gisborne: Creating a true parents’ retreat
Six bedrooms might sound impressive, but none of them worked as a proper main suite. This was where we made our boldest move. In a renovation this big, with this much riding on it, every dollar had to work hard — but the new master ensuite was one place where it really was worth spending. Up until now, the home simply didn’t have a bathroom that felt like it belonged to a property of this scale, let alone one that could emotionally sell a lifestyle.
The right wing of the house was completely reimagined as an adults’ retreat: One room converted into a dedicated walk‑in dressing room, one into a home office and the former no‑man’s‑land bedroom transformed into a true master suite with garden views
Luxury, scale and serenity come together in this new ensuite — a critical value add that repositions the entire home.
The new ensuite was created in the old walk‑in robe, finished with Carrara Herringbone Honed Mosaic tiles on the floor and Masia Blanco Matt tiles on the walls, both from National Tiles.
Fixtures were kept timeless and cohesive, including chrome tapware, a Timberline vanity and shaving cabinets and Bao bath, all from The Blue Space.
This newly created entrance completely redefines first impressions, turning confusion and overwhelm into a warm, welcoming arrival for buyers in Gisborne.
The Gisborne entrance: turning the ‘back’ into the front
The biggest problem revealed itself before you even stepped inside this home. The house was effectively back‑to‑front, with visitors arriving via a narrow driveway to what felt like a service entrance. First impressions were terrible! So Dennis flipped the narrative, without moving the house!
Almost the entire exterior budget went into creating a new arrival: a wide, meandering path, a welcoming front patio and layered cottage planting designed to slow buyers down and let the property breathe. The old balustrade was refreshed in crisp white and the entry deck was styled as somewhere you’d actually want to sit. The brief was simple: this must clearly feel like the front door.
What was once unclear and uninviting is now a true front porch — a moment of pause that suits the pace and charm of country living.
The sales result: Selling Houses Australia Gisborne
Before the renovation, the property sat stalled with no offers. Buyers simply couldn’t see past the confusion. After the transformation - with clear zoning, defined purpose and a welcoming arrival – the home received an offer of $1.5 million, giving Jeremy and Lauren the breathing room they desperately needed and a chance to move forward without financial fear.
Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter with homeowners Jeremy and Lauren.
Who pays for the renovations on Selling Houses Australia?
Renovations are funded by the homeowners. In this case, Jeremy and Lauren made the brave decision to borrow in order to give the property one final chance. We contributed our design expertise, labour and products from the show’s sponsors.
