Discovering Your Passion: How One Home Renovation Sparked a New Career for Eliza Newton

DEVELOPHER  Eliza Newton

LOCATION  Brighton, Victoria

ARCHITECT  Jane Cameron Architects

PHOTOGRAPHER  Dylan James

After spending 14 years living abroad, Eliza and her family were looking to move back to Australia and stumbled across a charming period home in Brighton that needed some love. She instantly saw the potential in the home’s original character but knew it needed some modern updates to make it her own.

With no prior renovation experience, she dove right in and surprisingly discovered a real passion for drafting plans and interiors along the way, deciding to leave behind her background in operations and finance in 2020 to focus full time on the DevelopHer Masterclass and the project.

“It took me quite some time to work out what my style was and the direction I wanted to head down having never worked on a renovation previously. The DevelopHer and BuildHer courses were invaluable to me at that time.”

Working closely with her brother’s construction team QBuild Projects, she created a beautifully detailed home and now she’s excited to take the next step in her journey by continuing her studies in architectural building design and can’t wait to dive into more projects in the future!

We recently spoke with Eliza in more detail about her St Andrews Street project, how it’s never too late to take the leap, and what she thinks the two most important things are in terms of a builder/client relationship:

When did you purchase this property and what potential did you see?

We were living in Singapore at the time, and after 14 years living abroad were eager to move back to Australia.  We came across this home in Brighton on a quick visit home to Melbourne and saw potential right away.  The original period features were intact, and there had been two renovations on the house previously – an upstairs extension in the 70’s that was very outdated and poorly insulated, and a more recent back extension to create an open plan kitchen, living and dining.  Whilst the property was very liveable, we saw great potential to modernise the upstairs and put our own stamp on the house.

When you worked through the plans, what was your vision and what was important to realise your dream?

The original plan was to knock down the upstairs extension and maintain the downstairs however this quickly snowballed into a larger-scale renovation, knocking off both renovations in order to reinstate the high ceilings in the back that were lost during the previous two updates. I hadn’t renovated previously, or delved into the design world, but during the process I really discovered my passion for building and designing! I was working in Finance at the time, but midway through, I decided to take the plunge and insert myself into every aspect of the renovation, from the design and procurement to the build itself.

There is a little bit of an English vibe about this home, it is warm and character-filled – where were you drawing inspiration from and did you have any pushback on your design?

Living in London for 12 years has definitely had an influence on my style – I love the period homes and interiors in the UK, as well as the beautiful craftsmanship of all the independent makers of fixtures and furniture.  I’m also a lover of all things old and love integrating second-hand vintage items with more contemporary pieces – I believe it’s the second-hand items that make a house feel like a home!

“In my mind, trust and communication are the two most important things in terms of a builder/client relationship.”

You worked with your brother and his business on this project, how was that process and can you give any advise?

Having never renovated before, and the idea of embarking on our first big project with family was a little daunting.  My biggest worry, and that of our family, was that it would have a negative impact on our relationship. Luckily the reality was quite the opposite!  I absolutely loved working on this project with my brother and his team.  I have such an appreciation for their craft and was in awe of the quality of their work.

In my mind, trust and communication are the two most important things in terms of a builder/client relationship. Choosing the builder you work with is probably the most important decision you’ll make, and working to build and nurture an open and transparent relationship with your builder is equally as important.

The end result was really beautifully detailed, how did you work through your vision and bring these details to life?

It took me quite some time to work out what my style was and the direction I wanted to head down having never worked on a renovation previously. The DevelopHer and BuildHer courses were invaluable to me at that time – I started collating various images of interiors I liked to identify what the common themes were in terms of colours and styles and ran with it from there (many hours down interior rabbit holes were spent!).  Pulling together a mood board of all the finishes and fixtures for each room really helped me visualise the end result and ensured everything worked together cohesively.

What was your background and how did you use this to maximise this renovation? 

I previously worked for an investment bank in Operations – organisational skills were key to keep things running smoothly, and to stay on top of the budget! Operating efficiently was key to my role in Finance and I tried to apply this to every element of the build as well, particularly in scheduling, where forward communication is key, and procurement – making sure all the elements were on site when required to mitigate any potential delays.

What were some of challenges you had in the build, were these expected or unexpected and how did you overcome them?

We had some unforeseen issues in the initial stages of the build during demolition and groundwork – we discovered an underground well when digging the footings for the extension!  It was quite the challenge to drain the water and keep the trenches from collapsing! But overall we were very lucky – the house had really good bones and didn’t resist the updates.

Have you found your calling – you did such a great job!

I have! I took the plunge back in 2020, quit my day job and signed up to the DevelopHer Masterclass and haven’t looked back! I’ve decided to take it a step further and have enrolled at RMIT next year to study Architectural Building Design. I discovered a love for drafting plans and interiors and hope to turn this into a side hustle post-gradation. On the project side, we hope to start construction on a restoration/renovation of a Victorian workers cottage in Middle Park later this year – this will be my first renovation for profit so excited and a little daunted at the same time!

What did you love about the process? 

Working with the team onsite, realising a dream of creating something, seeing all those mood boards come to life – the finished product far exceeded my expectations and was incredibly rewarding, I can’t wait to do it again!

“…forward communication is key, and procurement – making sure all the elements were on site when required to mitigate any potential delays. ”

Finally, if someone was thinking about joining BuildHer Collective what would you say to them?

I would say go for it!  The knowledge you gain from the courses really helps to give you the confidence to take that first step towards following your dream of renovation or building.  The support you gain from the community of women in the same boat is worth its weight in gold.  Whether you haven’t yet started your journey, you are mid-build or in the designing phase – there are literally thousands of women to run past your ideas, seek advice, ask for guidance or find inspiration from!

We look forward to watching on as Eliza dives into her next project!

👉🏼 Feeling inspired by DevelopHer Eliza’s project and want to start your own, or thinking about renovating for a profit? We’d love to help you!

Book a chat with us today.

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