A small space can be big on potential as House Rules contestants Cassie and matt show

THERE’S a lot to learn from this House Rules reno by Tasmanians Cassie and Matt, writes Catherine Nikas-Boulos.

House Rules contestants Cassie and Matt, from Tasmania.

THERE’S a lot to learn from this House Rules reno by Tasmanians Cassie and Matt, writes Catherine Nikas-Boulos.

It was not by accident that the Tasmanian team from House Rules bought this little brick house last year.

For Cassie and Matt, choosing this house was just as much about location as its classic retro style, with Cassie’s nan living down the road and her parents in the same suburb.

But while they are in a great spot, the house was lacking somewhat in space.

Architect and lighting consultant Joe Snell, who is a judge on the Channel 7 show, says the Tasmanian home didn’t offer much in terms of horizontal space, but it made up for it in ceiling height.

Earlier this month viewers watched as Cassie and Matt handed over the keys to the other teams who set about reshaping the house from the inside out.

The decision was made early on to remove the existing ceilings and create raked ceilings with exposed beams.

“It was so lucky that the teams spotted the cavity space in the study, knocking out the ceiling and going for it,” Joe says. “I would have done the exact same thing.”

Walking into the space pre-renovation was claustrophobic, says Joe, and the teams were rewarded for thinking outside the square.

“When it comes to renovating, people tend to think they can only push out horizontally, but the option to push up to create more space is there too.”

Light the way

News_Image_File: After.

News_Image_File: Before.The living area of the Tasmanian project has also come up trumps, thanks mostly to the over-sized windows which allow natural light to flood through.

One of Cassie and Matt’s house rules was to maintain the size of the windows which allowed light into the house, even through Hobart’s chilly winters.

“If you walk into a room with lots of natural light, it always feels bigger than it actually is,” says Joe. “Natural light is important to how we interpret space.

“See how big the windows are? That’s what makes that room so habitable, it’s like the room is going beyond its square metres and is pushing out in terms of light.”

Getting sunlight on the floor also gave the living room extra appeal.

“With the light on the floor, the room feels so much more alive. In winter you want the sun orientation deep into the room.”

News_Image_File: After.

News_Image_File: Before.Overall, he thinks the House Rules teams have added enormous value to the Tasmanian abode without losing the original 1960s character which attracted Cassie and Matt to it in the first place.

Ripping up the carpet to expose timber boards was another great idea.

“It’s a fresh look with the timber balancing the light around in a natural way,” he says.

“I really like that house, the big windows especially have made a significant impact.

“There’s nothing worse that being in a house that is shut-out from the world. We shouldn’t be living in a box.”

Practicality is key

News_Image_File: After.

News_Image_File: Before.If you’re looking to create something similar at your place, Dome Property Styling’s Connie Constantine says there are plenty of interior design tricks to make small spaces appear bigger than they actually are.

Natural light is fundamental in creating the illusion of extra space, along with sticking to a simple colour scheme.

Even though a room may not have the ideal number of square metres, that does not mean it should be stripped back and redecorated to the point of being impractical.

“I think that what’s important is to keep things practical,” she says.

“Families have certain constraints, they have colour preferences and you have to take everything on board and make it work for them.”

When it comes to colour, keep it simple.

“Choose one colour for your room, so there is less contrast,” says Connie. “Try to keep everything monochromatic — the less chop and change, the better it will work in a small space.”