With the rising costs of buying and selling, limited new home supply and changing lifestyle needs, more Australians are choosing to stay in their family homes and renovate rather than relocate. Renovations are surging with spending booming over the last five years, and are now seen as the smarter, more cost-effective way to create a dream home that truly fits their lives, in a community they have a connection with.
This shift isn’t just about style; practical realities are also driving homeowners to rethink how they live.
“The biggest trigger is lack of space – older homes, particularly those built before the 1990s, often have just one bathroom, causing chaos as families grow,” SOUL Home director and interior designer Simone Mathews says.
“For many of our clients, it’s the arrival of children, teenagers needing more privacy or multi-generational living with elderly parents that can all spark a need for a renovation. Combined with the rise of working from home, many home owners are also looking at extensions for dedicated home offices and quiet zones.”
When an extension is part of the renovation plan, whether it’s a ground-floor addition or a new upper level, it often becomes the catalyst for refreshing the entire exterior. A consistent façade ties the old and new together while adding significant value.
“Street appeal is an important consideration to ensure a home’s exterior reflects the homeowner’s vision. It’s not just about looking good – a well-designed façade protects your home and family from the elements while improving thermal comfort,” Simone says.
CSR Building Products’ latest research shows that when selecting the design of their home, Australians are increasingly blending style with function and prioritising modern exterior designs, utilising a combination of building materials to achieve the desired look and style.
“Every part of the exterior works as a system. Roofing protects from above, insulation keeps homes energy-efficient and comfortable, bricks and cladding deliver character and plasterboard completes the new spaces inside. Thinking holistically creates homes that are as functional as they are beautiful,” Simone says.
The first step in renovating is to define your house style. Knowing the look you’re aiming for helps guide every decision that follows, from the façade to the interiors.
“The choices you make for the exterior of your home set the tone for your interior. These decisions will influence the way you and your family live and how your home will last well into the future,” Simone says.
Here, Simone offers four tips to help create your own style when renovating:
Tip 1: Connect the exterior with the interior
“Access to nature and the outdoors is key to the Australian lifestyle. As a result, home design is maximising indoor/outdoor spaces, verandahs and balconies, courtyard gardens and a greater incorporation of greenspace into home design and landscaping,” Simone says.
To achieve a seamless transition between internal and external spaces, try to carry elements between both areas such as textures, colours and materials. For example, lightweight exterior cladding such as timber-look Balmoral Weatherboards by Cemintel not only creates a coastal look for the façade, but they can also be a great backdrop to an outdoor room. Bricks work just as well inside as they do outside. A feature wall or fireplace can bring warmth and character, suiting both contemporary spaces and heritage-inspired homes.
Tip 2: Use colour to unite different materials
Cohesion is one of the most important aspects of any renovation, and with mixed-material façades enjoying popularity for the depth and variety they bring, it’s the colours that tie them together. When combining different textures, a consistent colour palette ensures the design feels intentional, as well as adding personality and helping define your home style.
Curated palettes like bold black, easy neutrals or fresh greys make it easier to achieve a cohesive result across bricks, cladding and roofing. Bold, monochrome colours accentuate facades and create a strong contemporary feel, which is perfect for the clean lines of the Modernist look. Whereas, using crisp white is perfect for a relaxed lifestyle, well-suited to the Coastal look and soft neutrals and greys can be used for a timeless Classic home style.
“To ensure a balanced and visually appealing façade, stick to the rule of three – choose no more than three different colours – a dominant colour in which the majority of the house is painted, a secondary colour for fascia, guttering, window trims and an accent colour for a feature such as a front door,” Simone says.
Tip 3: Texture is key
Texture has the power to instantly update an older home, adding depth, individuality and interest to the home aesthetic. Mixing building materials such as brick, cladding and stone breaks up large surfaces and can create an architectural feel.
A smooth render creates a clean, modern base, allowing complementary material, such as cladding with its linear texture, to stand out. Stone offers natural, tactile features and when used around an entryway or front door, can provide a focal point that feels both inviting and enduring.
When expanding an existing home, whether through an extension or an upper level, there’s an opportunity to introduce texture by creating a complementary design statement that enhances both the aesthetic appeal and liveability of the property. When mixing modern and traditional, use consistencies across colour palettes, window treatments or material choices to tie back to the specific style.
“Street appeal, however, goes beyond the facade. Extending the same materials into landscaping features, fences, pathways or a welcoming front porch creates balance and continuity, ensuring the home makes a strong first impression,” Simone says.
Tip 4: Don’t forget comfort
While appearance is vital, true liveability comes from comfort. Acoustic insulation, like Soundscreen, helps create a quieter home by reducing noise transfer between rooms and blocking out external sounds, which is invaluable for busy households.
Thermal performance is equally important. High-quality insulation, double-glazed windows and energy-efficient walling systems stabilise indoor temperatures, reducing reliance on heating and cooling. The result is a home that feels more comfortable year-round, while also saving on energy costs and supporting sustainability.
Whether you’re a young couple modernising, a growing family needing more space or downsizers seeking ease and comfort, the goal should always be to renovate to elevate.
