Photography on right: Alana Landsberry / Styling: Lucy Gough
Chloe Brookman knows a few things about renovating and curating chic family homes without breaking the budget. After all, the co-founder and director of toy and homewares brand Olli Ella transformed two houses in three years — all while raising five kids and several pets and running a business.
The design doyen recently revealed that she and husband Charlie Wheeler renovated two bathrooms in their elegant Coogee home, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, for less than $7000 each. And they didn’t scrimp on quality.
“The goal was to create bathrooms that felt elevated, and were cohesive with the house’s character, which leaned heavily towards the Art Deco era in which it was built,” says Chloe. “All while keeping costs tight.”
The unique 1930s five-bedroom home, formerly a duplex known as ‘Rainbrook’, was sold in 2024 for $6.7 million. The creative couple are now renovating a 1970s house with a glassed-in balcony that faces the ocean and a kidney-shaped pool. We’re obsessed already.
Retain period features, save money
Rather than completely modernise homes, Chloe and Charlie like to preserve any charming heritage features, which saves money, too. “Older homes have a warmth and nostalgia that’s impossible to replicate with new builds,” Chloe says.
“Retro details — whether it’s original tiles, windows, cabinetry or fixtures — bring so much character, and I love working with them rather than against them. Keeping original features adds to the story of the home and makes renovations feel intentional rather than overly ‘done’. There’s something beautiful about letting a house’s history shine through.”
Chloe agrees that many renovators overcapitalise when it comes to refreshing bathrooms. “Because we are told that bathrooms and kitchens are the most important rooms, we mentally expect them to come at a premium,” she explains.
“Bathrooms can be such an easy place to blow the budget unnecessarily, especially when people assume they need a full-gut reno or the most expensive finishes. A lot of the time, a space can be dramatically transformed with smart material choices, good styling and knowing where to spend versus save.”
With that in mind, here’s how Chloe reimagined two bathrooms for under $7K each, and her sage advice to fellow house flippers.
Reuse existing bathroom fittings
Chloe re-purposed an “incredible” original cast iron pedestal sink — now a pretty pop of blue in a mostly pink bathroom. “Know when to work with what you have,” she says. “Sometimes keeping and restoring an existing feature, like a vintage basin, creates a more unique result than if you had just ripped everything out.”
Keep to the existing layout of the bathroom, if possible, so you don’t need to relocate the plumbing, advises Chloe. “Moving plumbing is one of the biggest costs in a bathroom reno,” she says.
Seek out secondhand bathroom supplies
Hunt for high-quality materials at a fraction of the retail price; an easy way to do this is to shop for pre-loved gems. Chloe unearthed beautiful vintage fixtures from as far away as Egypt.
“With the exception of a beautiful pedestal ceramic basin and a console basin from Turner & Hastings, we sourced everything from secondhand marketplaces, auctions and overstock sales,” reveals Chloe. “Some of the best finds came from Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, and ex-display sales. The former not only saved our budget but saved ‘waste’ from landfill too!”
Make cost-effective design choices
“Instead of full tiling, we used strategic feature tiles in key areas and left the rest as painted walls,” recalls Chloe. “We also shopped around for the best deals on quality stone and tiles and even reused excess tiles from a previous build, incorporating them into this design. Nothing was wasted!”
Chloe also recommends mixing high-end finishes with more economical ones. “Splurge on key features, such as tiles or a beautiful basin, and save elsewhere,” she says.
Roll up your sleeves
When it comes to home renovation, Chloe and Charlie don’t shy away from manual labour. “While we left plumbing and waterproofing to the pros, we handled a lot ourselves — painting, installing new mirrors, some joinery and so on. This made a massive difference in the final look and feel, as well as keeping costs down,” Chloe explains.
“So, DIY wherever you can. Even small things like styling can make a space feel new without hiring trades.”
