Interiors

A Pokey 1970s Unit Turned Sleek, Monochromatic Marvel

Other than new-ish laminate floors and a bathroom renovated in around 1998, the Ringwood North home of Rebecca Karagiorgos was untouched since its construction in the 1970s. You would have no idea from looking at it now!

Over the last 12 months, the influencer, fashion designer and director of Twice Blessed and By Twice Blessed embarked a top-to-toe renovation of a two-bedroom unit with her husband. Using Reece products, an impeccable eye for style and a whole lot of moodboards, it’s a total transformation!

Written
by
Sasha Gattermayr
Supported by Reece

Rebecca Karagiorgos transformed her 1970s unit in Ringwood North into a sleek, contemporary two-bedroom home with the help of a monochrome palette and bathroom and kitchen fixtures from Reece. The influencer, fashion designer and director of Twice Blessed and By Twice Blessed pictured here next to the Mizu Drift Gooseneck tap in brushed gold. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The Mizu Drift Gooseneck tap in brushed gold from Reece was a key feature in pulling the whole interior palette together. Rebecca needed metallic gold accents to elevate the black, white and neutral tones throughout the rest of the home. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The Mizu Drift Gooseneck tap in brushed gold from Reece adds a touch of glam (as well as brightness) to the sleek, contemporary kitchen. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘My husband and I both love a good monochrome palette, so we stuck to a very simply black, white and neutral colour theme, to keep everything fresh and cohesive,’ says Rebecca. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

It’s a feast of black and gold! The dining room palette is in easy dialogue with the kitchen, where the gold chandelier speaks to the Mizu Drift Gooseneck tap in brushed gold from Reece. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Making the space light and airy was a key design concern, leading Rebecca to prioritise flow when deciding on the palette and configuration. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Candles and ceramics add soft sculptural forms to the bold, dark theme. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Soft furnishings such as rugs, cushions and curtains give this corner of the lounge room some light reprieve. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A perfectly curated corner detail. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The newly added deck opens the compact space up even further. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

‘As our overall theme was very monochromatic, it made perfect sense to include the warm brushed gold tones into the renovation,’ says Rebecca. ‘The choice to include the matte black was a no-brainer too, it’s incredibly bold and sleek.’ Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

A pop of colour in the bedroom brings out the autumnal hues in the metallic lamp. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The monochromatic palette continues in the bathroom, where black cabinetry with gold fittings match the Alape Unisono Basin in matte black and the Mizu Drift range of brushed gold tapware from Reece. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Rebecca adds gold accents to her home the same way she accessorises her outfits with gold jewellery! The Alape Unisono Basin in matte black and the Mizu Drift range of brushed gold tapware from Reece sit in harmony in the bathroom. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

The laundry-bathroom hybrid is the couple’s favourite room in the house! The laundry bench is fit with Mizu Drift Goosneck tap, which faces the Mizu Drift Twin Waterrail shower fixture in the shower. Both fixtures from Reece. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Styling – Annie Portelli.

Writer
Sasha Gattermayr
29th of March 2021

When Rebecca Karagiorgos and her husband started knocking down walls in their Ringwood North unit, they found out very quickly that the house had never been properly insulated, and most of the electrical wiring and plumbing had to be re-done. This is when it turned from an interior makeover into a serious renovation!

‘The rooms were pokey, dark and closed off to one another,’ explains Rebecca of the original layout. ‘We wanted to keep the space open, airy and free-flowing.’ As such, they set out to create the perfect design that met all their needs, both functionally and aesthetically.

Given both Bec and her partner were coming from large family homes into a two-bedroom unit, the focus was on making the new open-plan layout cosy and inviting. This meant the colour and materials palette was crucial to achieving a contemporary, but intimate and welcoming atmosphere.

‘As the house is small in itself, we knew that the overall mood and theme had to remain consistent throughout, as every room is visible from the other,’ she explains. ‘My husband and I both love a good monochrome palette, so we stuck to a very simply black, white and neutral colour theme, to keep everything fresh and cohesive.’

The pair designed the sleek interiors themselves and even spent weeknights after work and weekend days painting walls, laying flooring and cleaning. Bec applied her impeccable eye to the finishes, selecting the Mizu Drift range of brushed gold tapware from Reece to add a touch of glam to the kitchen and bathroom. The Mizu Drift Gooseneck tap adds a particularly sculptural touch.

‘As our overall theme was very monochromatic, it made perfect sense to include the warm brushed gold tones into the renovation,’ says Rebecca. ‘The choice to include the matte black was a no-brainer too, it’s incredibly bold and sleek.’

This same mix of metallic fixtures and black finishes was repeated in the European-style bathroom-laundry (a.k.a. the couple’s favourite room in the house!) by adding the Alape Unisono Basin in matte black.

Combining the bathroom and laundry was originally a simple space-saving solution, but ended up as an inspired design feature, where the large, industrial-style Mizu Drift Twin Waterrail shower fixture works in tandem with the deep, farmhouse-style marble benches on the opposing laundry wall.

‘What was originally a very dated, pokey and cramped floorplan is now a free-flowing space where all rooms connect,’ says Rebecca.

This epic interior transformation takes the home from daggy to debonair!

Rebecca Karagiorgos brought her sleek kitchen and bathroom to life with Reece – Australia’s home of kitchen and bathroom inspiration, design and innovation. Reece’s expert team helps customers across the country make their dream bathroom a reality. Discover more here.

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