The Buro Group

My family recently made an affordable purchase on a new house, thanks to the ongoing downturn in the housing market. While we managed to stay within our budget, the house itself is quite old and requires significant renovations. Nonetheless, I am thrilled to have the freedom to design and customise the house according to my preferences. As an adept interior designer, I possess a solid understanding of the fundamentals, although I acknowledge that I am not an expert in the field.

Our renovation journey begins with the laundry room, followed by the bathrooms, and then the kitchen. These areas are the ones with the most intricate plumbing requirements, necessitating the involvement of a plumber. Consequently, I cannot simply design these spaces as I please. Instead, I must collaborate with experts who will handle the essential infrastructure, allowing me to work around it. Consequently, these rooms will require more internal work compared to spaces like the bedrooms and dining room.

To gather ideas for our house, I have been exploring online platforms that showcase the work of laundry room designers. Since we acquired the house at a reasonable price, we have some remaining budget that we can allocate towards these enhancements. It is important to me that the house looks beautiful and inviting for when we host our friends and family. Therefore, we have decided to delay our housewarming event until all the renovations are completed.

In addition to finding a laundry room designer, I have been diligently researching the finest professional laundry renovations Melbourne has to offer. Our trendy city is teeming with talented individuals, resulting in a plethora of outstanding design work. I have scoured the internet, visited showrooms, and attended design art shows to explore different concepts. Additionally, my designer friends have been instrumental in guiding me toward reputable firms and companies that can assist with our project.

Given the age of the house, there is undoubtedly a substantial amount of work ahead of us before we can comfortably invite guests over. However, as we embark on this renovation journey as a family, we aim to enjoy the process. While I am particularly excited about designing my own bedroom, it is crucial to prioritise the central areas of the house for now. With perseverance and dedication, we are confident that our vision for the house will be realised, creating a beautiful and welcoming space for all.

Elara couldn’t believe the sight of the new kitchen coming into place right before her eyes. This was a difficult type of magic, and she had never tried it before, so it was surprising to her how quickly and easily it all came together. Maybe this really was her true calling. Maybe all those years she had spent secretly wanting to be a kitchen designer had somehow created this magical ability within herself and it was finally becoming a reality – she could be the best kitchen designer in all of Australia. The owner of the showrooms, still reeling from the incident with the trolls, came over to Elara and called her into her office.

“I have a proposition for you,” the showroom owner said. Here was her chance; Elara was about to be enlisted as a kitchen designer. All her dreams were about to come true. “I want you to join our team as a professional for bathroom design,” the showroom owner said.

Elara could barely contain her disappointment. A bathroom renovator? But she had just shown her prowess in kitchen renovations. Those were two completely different things! Bathrooms were full of tiles and cabinets and were often cramped and lacking space. Kitchens were beautiful, light places filled with innovative ideas and gorgeous wafts of food drifting through the air.

“I thought that after my efforts you would want me as a kitchen designer, or something in the kitchen realm at the very least,” Elara said.

The showroom owner frowned and shook her head. “No, not at all. We have many kitchen designers already, and they are very good at what they do. It doesn’t matter how quickly they do it, so long as they get it done. Speed is not a factor in our working process here. When it comes to bathrooms, however,” the showroom owner continued, “we offer some of the most affordable bathroom renovations Melbourne has, and we’re currently short on a bathroom designer. Since we need someone to make up for all of that lost work, we could really use your services to get it done quickly and put our bathrooms on display.”

Elara thought about this proposition for a minute. Was it the perfect job? No, it wasn’t. Kitchen design was where her heart was. Bathroom design sure would be fun, but she was still in school, anyway. She wouldn’t really have time for a job while she was doing magic. For now, her kitchen design dreams would have to remain just that.

Iris had always loved the beach. Growing up on the Mornington Peninsula had its perks for a girl who loved running through the sand and playing in the water. It was a place she knew well, back on the surface.

This? This was not the Mornington Peninsula. It was a fair enough imitation, she had to admit, but there was just something not quite right about it. Maybe the knowledge that this place was a fabrication was enough to taint it alone, but she still felt that they’d gotten something wrong about it – aside from the fact that the real Mornington Peninsula was currently occupied by giant cockroaches. 

But still, there was nothing about it she could pinpoint. Perhaps each individual element was just the tiniest bit off. The sand of the beach she currently stood on was maybe a touch less yellow. The sun beamed down with slightly less intensity. The sounds of the false ocean weren’t quite right. 

Iris’s skirt rustled in the soft breeze – a breeze that, unfortunately, was also artificial. She shivered slightly, waiting for the luxury custom home builders she was supposed to meet here. Had she known she’d be waiting so long, Iris might have worn something a bit warmer than a long skirt and t-shirt.

Finally, two men approached from the other side of the beach. When they came within speaking distance, Iris curtsied and then stood straight, waiting for them to begin the dialogue. They certainly weren’t what she’d expected of custom home designers based on the Mornington Peninsula, where people had a lot of money to spend on houses.

“I trust you have been briefed,” said a regal man. Beside him stood an intimidating figure in a purple robe. “Which of the five might you be?”

“Iris,” she said, projecting her voice so as to not sound timid. “I’m afraid you might not see me much. I’m not out very often.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” said the man. “I am Gideon, and with me is my right-hand man, Lorenzo. Tell me, Iris, what do you have to offer us?”

Iris gave a shy smile. “Perhaps it’s best if I provide a demonstration.”