Premium bathroom rebuild inside a century-old Forestville farmhouse. Marble, freestanding tub, original ceiling timbers kept.
Forestville farmhouses come up rarely. Tina's family had bought one and inherited 100 years of patchwork. The bathroom had been redone in the 80s with avocado tiles and a fibreglass shower base that had cracked twice. The bones of the house were sound. The wet area wasn't.
The brief was a premium bathroom that fit the building. Not a cookie-cutter Reno-Rumble fit-out. Real stone, freestanding tub, brass that would patina, joinery that matched the proportions of the rest of the house. And don't touch the timber-lined ceiling.
Honed Carrara marble in 600×600 floor tiles, sealed twice. Freestanding stone-resin tub. Custom American Oak vanity with a single 30mm stone top, hand-finished edges. Brushed brass tapware that'll patina rather than chrome that scratches. Existing ceiling timbers cleaned, sanded back, sealed in clear satin so the original lining stayed visible.
Six weeks. Demo and structural in week one (one of the joists was carrying a hairline crack we didn't see in the quote walk — flagged it day two, sistered it on the spot, kept moving). Plumbing and waterproofing through weeks two and three. Tile and stone install in four. Joinery, plumbing second fix and tapware in five. Final week was paint, ceiling timber finish and snag list. Job sat in the premium reno band, $45k–$75k+ inclusive.
Same-footprint wet-area renovation, no change to building envelope, exempt development. No DA. Wet-area sign-off coordinated through a private certifier with photos at waterproofing stage and tile stage.
Bathroom feels like it was always there. Marble wraps the tub and grounds the room. Brass has started to dull just slightly after a season — right where Tina wanted it. Original ceiling pulls the eye up and tells you you're in an old farmhouse, not a new build.
"Coby and Bill have just finished some renovations on our 100 year old farmhouse and we couldn't be happier."
— Tina M., Forestville