The renovation reality behind the algorithm: Jemma and Alex's 1960s Canberra house transformation
Your algorithm tells you it’s easy. Stunning before-and-afters. A room transformation in thirty seconds. The perfectly curated house tour. But it doesn’t show you the long days and lonely nights of renovating, where decision fatigue meets financial pressure head on. Or the tough conversations with your builder and bank over the unwelcome, yet unavoidable, variations. “It can be a lot at times,” an honest Jemma Mrdak tells Place Journal. “It pushes you in ways you don’t expect
Jordan Pinto
14 hours ago4 min read
Pink Door at Port Willunga: How a South Australian couple renovated their forever home and holiday rental from 750km away
More than 750 kilometres separate Port Willunga on South Australia's picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula and Melbourne’s CBD. A gap today brought together by a nine-hour drive or a 75-minute flight. But for husband-and-wife renovators M & M during the Covid pandemic, it was distance that just couldn’t be measured. Living in Victoria after work brought them back a second time five years earlier, the couple were forced to cut ties with what they always hoped would be their “forever
Jordan Pinto
Mar 15 min read
Breeze blocks are back: Why Australia's DIY renovators are obsessed
Breeze blocks — those decorative concrete blocks that defined mid-century Australian architecture— are experiencing a major comeback in 2026. And it's not just nostalgia driving this design trend. DIY renovators and architects alike are rediscovering how breeze blocks solve real renovation challenges while creating stunning visual impact. With the help of The Breeze Block Company , who are helping with the revival in Australia, here’s what you need to know. Why breeze blocks
Jordan Pinto
Jan 273 min read
Chanice and Spencer's Place: DIY couple's renovation built 77K Instagram following
Five minutes for forever. Catchy Australian power pop band name or four words that tell the story of one family’s life-changing decision? Ponder that for a second. And that’s just about how much time Chanice had to make the call that would change everything. Out on a hike with friends, the five-minute window to view a property in Oakbank was closing. Fast. "I said to my friends 'we're not going to make it',” Chanice recalls. “And I didn’t even really care at the time.” But t
Jordan Pinto
Sep 18, 20253 min read
Sophie and Trent's Place: Creating a colourful kids playroom on a budget
Out with the cats, in with the kids. Sort of. At Sophie and Trent’s place, three cats ruled the old sun room for years. Quite happily,...
Jordan Pinto
Jul 10, 20252 min read
Paolo's Place: Architect trades bedroom for Red Gum tree views in 1960s apartment renovation
Some people fall in love with an elegant kitchen. Others are swayed by spacious bedrooms or luxury bathrooms . Not Paolo – he fell in...
Jordan Pinto
Jun 26, 20254 min read
Bec and Paul's place: The stunning renovation of a rundown 1920s Bungalow
Buy the worst house on the best street. We’ve all heard that old saying when it comes to real estate . Buy the worst house you have ever...
Jordan Pinto
May 18, 20254 min read