While Erin Cayless is the last of the Three Birds trio to renovate her own family home, it’s no secret she’d been wanting to do so for some time. So, when she and her husband Nathan found an ideal “blank canvas” in the Hills District in 2020, they were eager to get started.
"Its rectangular shape and gabled roof reminded me of a traditional farmhouse, so we leaned into that architectural style to create the vision for my family home," says Erin.
With its sprawling floorplan, 90s aesthetic and terracotta tiles, this vast home was ripe for a Three Birds’ signature renovation.
The thing that drew us to this particular home was the land,” says Erin. “Then we came inside, saw the beautiful, vaulted ceilings, and the beautiful features in the home, and we bought it within 48 hours.
Updating the interiors of this home was a significant undertaking— spanning five bedrooms, a kitchen and butler’s pantry, dining room, main living room and family lounge, as well as a study, laundry, main bathroom and three ensuites.
Creating a consistent, warm, and inviting feel throughout was very important to Erin and Nathan—as was ensuring the home reflected the family’s unique style.
The Three Birds team coined the term “urban farmhouse” to describe the aesthetic for this home, which fuses the classic charm of a farmhouse, with stylish, modern, and uniquely urban elements.
The team experimented with various shades and natural timbers to bring the interior aesthetic to life—ensuring an authentic and seamless feel throughout.
Features such as checked tiles, barn slide doors and raw natural materials pay homage to the rural theme, while pops of black give the home a modern, urban edge.
This home’s warm, welcoming aesthetic starts the moment you walk through the door. The original entrance was low and cramped, and not particularly inviting. To address this, the team built a raised, gabled roof and installed floor-to-ceiling doors and windows to completely open the space.
Luxaflex® sheer curtains in a natural shade were chosen to complement the contemporary farmhouse feel of the entrance, and create a soft, billowy feel. The sheer fabric ensures light can still flow freely into the space, without impacting privacy.
“We opted for the same curtain style in our study to add dimension and texture to the overall space,” says Erin. “It is important to consider window treatments early in the planning stage as you can seamlessly integrate them into your design plans, ensuring they complement the rest of your interior décor,” she adds.
Due to the scale of Erin and Nathan’s home, there was a risk of certain spaces being dark – especially those nearer the centre of the home. So, the team made some smart choices to optimise the flow of natural light. This included installing generous skylights in the master bedroom, walk-in-robe and one of the children’s bedrooms.
The Luxaflex® team then worked with the Three Birds team to create custom Luxaflex® Duette® coverings for these skylights. These shades have a unique honeycomb structure which traps air in a similar way to double glazing, helping moderate internal temperatures.
As these skylights are hard to reach, the team incorporated Luxaflex® PowerView® Motorisation which enables Erin and Nathan’s family to open and close their shades with the touch of a button. During daylight hours, the shades can be fully retracted – enabling a maximum flow of light into the rooms. In the evenings, or whenever required, they can then be closed to create dark and peaceful sanctuaries for sleep.
A key priority in this home was that it reflects Erin and Nathan’s personal aesthetic—a combination of rustic, rural features with chic, urban sophistication.
Luxaflex® Pirouette® Shadings provide the ideal combination of softness and structure which the couple were looking for. These unique shades feature softly contoured, front-facing fabric vanes, which are attached to a single sheer backing. During opening and closing, the vanes move in tandem for a fluid, graceful effect.
They were used to provide both privacy and sophistication in the main hallway, as well as to add practical elegance to the main bathroom.
Sheer Luxaflex® curtains were also used in various rooms of the home to create a soft and billowy look.
For a house of this size, finding natural solutions for heating and cooling is very important— without compromising the aesthetic.
It’s why the team chose Luxaflex® Duette® Shades to cover the main windows in each of the bedrooms, as well as the skylights.
It was a priority for Erin that the bedrooms were very dark and tranquil, and so each of the Duette Shades was made using smart, blockout fabric.
To add an element of luxury and convenience to their home, Erin and Nathan also chose to implement Luxaflex® PowerView® Motorisation for several of their window coverings—including the hard-to-reach Luxaflex® Pirouette® Shadings in the hallway.
This technology allows the family to control their window coverings in various rooms with the touch of a button – even when away from home. There are a variety of control options, including a user-friendly new app and an environmentally-friendly rechargeable battery wand.
Smart new features even allow the family to automate the opening and closing of their coverings with the rising and setting of the sun, for optimal energy efficiency.
To learn more about the Luxaflex® window coverings used in this home, drop by a Luxaflex® showroom and speak with one of our expert consultants.
Over the past decade, we’ve seen some spectacular renovations from Bonnie, Lana, and Erin at Three Birds Renovations.
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