The Renovation Shop

The Renovation Shop Personal service and timeless renovation products for classic homes. Visit our Canberra showroom or our website.

Architectural hardware, lighting, farmhouse sinks, tapware, wallpaper & more - designed to last.

I’ve started planning my next house, and it will surprise no one who knows me that it won’t be modern and minimalist!I l...
14/06/2026

I’ve started planning my next house, and it will surprise no one who knows me that it won’t be modern and minimalist!

I love classic features. High ceilings, beautiful doors, proper architraves and skirting, wall panelling, lovely lighting and architectural details that make a house feel like it’s been thoughtfully designed, rather than simply built.

A panelled hallway is very high on my list. It may or may not include gorgeous wallpaper like this, although I’ve always loved stripes, so I suspect there’s a good chance it will.

Most of all, I want the house to feel light, bright and welcoming, with lots of sunshine and details that feel connected to the home's style.

I’ve renovated several houses before, but I haven’t built from scratch. I haven't started building yet, but I thought I’d share some of the ideas and decisions as they take shape. After nearly two decades helping customers choose details for their own homes, it feels very exciting to be planning some of my own again.

Before you order door hardware, make a door-by-door plan.It’s very common for people to start by choosing a handle they ...
07/06/2026

Before you order door hardware, make a door-by-door plan.

It’s very common for people to start by choosing a handle they like, but that's not where a correct door hardware order begins.

You need to know what each door actually requires. Is it a passage door, a bathroom door, a bedroom door, a study, a sliding door, a pair of French doors or an external door? Is the door new or existing? If it's existing, is there a 54mm hole in the door? How thick is the door? How wide is the stile? Does it need a latch, privacy set, lock, bolts, hinges or something else?

This is where mistakes happen.

You can choose beautiful hardware and still end up with pieces that don’t suit the door, don't cover existing holes, don’t fit the stile, or require extra parts you didn’t realise you needed.

I’ve spent almost two decades helping people choose door hardware and renovation fittings through my specialist renovation businesses, as well as renovating many houses myself. I know how often these details are missed, and how frustrating and expensive it can be to fix incorrectly chosen hardware later.

That’s why I created the Door Hardware Concierge Service.

I help you choose the right door hardware for each door, then prepare a practical door-by-door hardware plan before you order. It means you know what each door needs, what I recommend, and what details still need to be confirmed. In period houses, I can tell you what's appropriate for the era, and where hardware should be placed on the door.

Start with the door hardware quiz via the link in bio.

A well-proportioned lantern in a hallway, beautiful wall panelling and lovely timber flooring all have a way of making a...
31/05/2026

A well-proportioned lantern in a hallway, beautiful wall panelling and lovely timber flooring all have a way of making a house feel welcoming, without being overdone.

They're the sorts of details I always notice, and the sorts of details I never get tired of.

A beautiful light fitting can still be wrong for the room.This is something I often see in period homes. A light is chos...
24/05/2026

A beautiful light fitting can still be wrong for the room.

This is something I often see in period homes. A light is chosen because it looks good on its own, but once installed, it feels too small, too heavy, too modern, or somehow disconnected from the rest of the space.

Lighting needs to be chosen with the room in mind. Ceiling height matters. So do the proportions of the room, the style of the home, the ceiling rose, the cornices, the windows, and the way one room connects to the next.

In a period home, the best lighting is not necessarily the fitting that demands the most attention. It's the one that feels as though it belongs there.

That doesn't mean every choice needs to be a strict reproduction, or that an old house can't feel fresh and lovely. But the details should still make sense for the home's age and character.

For me, the best lighting in a period home is the lighting that feels right for the house. It suits the room, the ceiling height and the style of the home, rather than looking as though it's been chosen in isolation.

17/05/2026

I always feel slightly disheartened when door hardware is positioned incorrectly on a period door.

Door k***s and levers should be placed on the lock rail. That means k***s on Edwardian three-panel doors will sit relatively high, while hardware on Victorian four-panel doors will sit much lower.

These details may seem subtle, but correct placement makes a significant difference to how balanced and visually appropriate a door feels.

And if period accuracy is important to you, Edwardian three-panel doors like this should always have k***s rather than levers.

Choosing door hardware is far more involved than most people expect, which is exactly why I created our door hardware quiz.

The renovations that tend to age most beautifully are rarely the ones following the latest trend.They’re the ones where ...
09/05/2026

The renovations that tend to age most beautifully are rarely the ones following the latest trend.

They’re the ones where someone took the time to understand the house first. Its proportions, architectural details and character.

That doesn’t mean a period home can’t have modern comforts. Of course it can. But the most successful renovations are usually the ones where the new elements still feel connected to the surrounding architecture.

I think restraint is often underrated in renovation. Not boring restraint. Thoughtful restraint. The kind that allows a home’s original character to remain the hero, while still making it comfortable and practical for modern living.

This is something I really care about, particularly when it comes to the details people often underestimate, like door hardware, lighting proportions, tapware, cabinetry detailing and material selection. Because these seemingly small decisions often determine whether a renovation will still feel beautiful in ten or twenty years’ time.

Do you think timeless renovations are becoming rarer, or are people starting to move away from fast-moving trends again?

I know this may be a little controversial, and that’s really not my style, but I feel like it needs to be said.If you’re...
03/05/2026

I know this may be a little controversial, and that’s really not my style, but I feel like it needs to be said.

If you’re renovating a beautiful period home, especially one built before the 1930s, please don’t treat it as a blank canvas for an ultra-modern kitchen, bathroom or lighting scheme.

I was reading an interiors magazine recently and came across a beautiful old house with all the character you’d hope for. From the outside, it had presence, charm and architectural integrity. But inside, the kitchen and bathrooms felt so starkly contemporary that they could have belonged to an entirely different house.

And honestly, I was so dismayed I put the magazine down.

Not because period homes shouldn’t be updated. Of course they should. A beautiful old house can absolutely have a new kitchen, lovely bathrooms, excellent lighting, proper heating and all the practical things that make it comfortable to live in today.

But those choices need to feel connected to the house.

The proportions, the door styles, the architraves, the hardware, the lighting, the tapware, the cabinetry details and the materials all matter.

Lighting should respect both the room's proportions and the age of the house. Door hardware should suit the door's design and the period of the house. Kitchens and bathrooms should feel as though they belong within the architecture, rather than being dropped into it from somewhere else.

A beautiful old house deserves more than on-trend finishes and fittings placed inside old walls. It deserves thought. Restraint. Respect. And choices that feel as though they belong.

That doesn’t mean recreating a museum. It means understanding the language of the house and making new decisions that sit comfortably within it.

This is the part of renovation I care about deeply. It’s why I’m so particular about door hardware, lighting, tapware and the small architectural details that can either support a home's character or quietly undermine it.

Because in a period home, the details are never just details. They’re part of the story.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. How do you think new kitchens, bathrooms and lighting should sit within an older house?

Choosing door hardware based on appearance alone is one of the easiest ways to make a mistake.A handle or k**b might be ...
26/04/2026

Choosing door hardware based on appearance alone is one of the easiest ways to make a mistake.

A handle or k**b might be beautiful in its own right, but that doesn’t always mean it will suit the door, the proportions of the room, or the way the door needs to function.

Stile width, door design, thickness, latch type and placement all matter, especially when you’re choosing hardware for several doors across a home.

This is why I created the Door Hardware Quiz: to help you start with the right questions before choosing products.

If you’re renovating or building and would like a clearer starting point, you’ll find the quiz here:

https://therenovationshop.com.au/pages/door-hardware-quiz

Choosing door hardware is one of those decisions that seems straightforward at first, but quickly becomes more involved ...
19/04/2026

Choosing door hardware is one of those decisions that seems straightforward at first, but quickly becomes more involved once you start looking into it properly.

Every door can require something different. The thickness, the construction, the proportions, even the type of room all play a part in what will actually work.

It’s also very easy to end up with hardware that looks right on its own, but doesn’t feel quite right once it’s installed throughout the house.

This is exactly why I created a short quiz to guide you through the process. It helps identify what you need to consider and provides a clear next step, whether you’re making a simple update or planning a full renovation.

If you’d like to approach it with more confidence, you can start our quiz here.

https://therenovationshop.com.au/pages/door-hardware-quiz

Overwhelmed by door hardware choices?When customers come to me for help, I don’t start with what’s trending. I start wit...
08/03/2026

Overwhelmed by door hardware choices?

When customers come to me for help, I don’t start with what’s trending. I start with a few practical questions that make the right options obvious.

Door style. Door function. Existing finishes.

Once those are clear, everything feels simpler, and the final result feels cohesive across the whole home.

I’m currently building a simple website quiz to help you narrow things down, and I’m also developing a personalised concierge service for whole-of-home selections. Follow for updates.

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Shop 124, 33 Eastlake Parade
Canberra, ACT
2604

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Tuesday 11am - 4pm
Wednesday 11am - 4pm
Thursday 11am - 4pm

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