We can hardly believe it but this month its coming up to 10 years since we bought the Currarong Beachfront Cottages. Where did that decade go?! Back then we had a 6 year old, a few less wrinkles and a big mortgage. We also had clients and lots of other work so I don't know how we juggled it all, to be honest!
I've looked back in the photo archives to dig out the "Before" shots. The cottages really haven't changed that much on the outside but they were virtually derelict on the inside. Not much had changed since they were built in 1938, so there was a lot of work done to make them comply with modern standards, before we even thought about the decor!
We reconfigured the layouts and modernised the bathrooms, some of which had only the most basic facilities and very rustic plumbing! The remaining timber windows were repaired and ugly aluminium windows installed in the 70s were replaced with timber windows.
On the inside, we kept the funky cantered ceilings, architraves and wooden picture rails and added more where they had been taken off. We repaired the timber floors and whitewashed them to conceal the patchwork of different timbers and also because we liked that beachy look.
The decks were added last, along with fences and driveways to comply with council requirements.
Over the years we've done a few changes, like building a bathroom addition to one cottage, outdoor beach showers and replaced the tin roofing. Looking back we are both glad we saved the cottages as they would have almost certainly been demolished if we hadn't taken them on. Their central position on the main corner means their restoration was really important in retaining the quaint beach village vibe of Currarong.
To this day, a visit to Currarong is like stepping back in time to a place where beach holidays are like they were over 50 years ago. Many of the old cottages have been renovated and a walk through the streets reveals many cool design ideas and interpretations. We are proud to have done our bit - we've renovated five now in Currarong alone!
