Home Renovations
Rework your existing home to create better spaces, better connections and a home that suits the way you live now.
Create a home that works for the way you live now
Your home may have good bones, a location you love and memories built into every room. But that does not mean it still works for your life today.
Perhaps the kitchen feels disconnected from the rest of the home. The living areas are dark or difficult to furnish. There is not enough storage. The bedrooms no longer suit your family. Or the house turns its back on a garden you would love to use more often.
At Orterra Home, we help homeowners rethink, improve and transform their existing homes.
From carefully considered changes through to major home renovations and extensions, we look at how your house functions, how it feels and how it connects with the outdoors. Our goal is to make the most of what you already have while creating a home that feels cohesive, comfortable and distinctly yours.
Home renovation design shaped around you
There is no single right way to renovate a home. The right design depends on your property, your budget, your priorities and the way you want to live.
You may be renovating a postwar home that has been altered many times. You might have a Queenslander with beautiful character but an impractical layout. Perhaps you are updating a newer house that feels generic or disconnected from the garden.
Whatever the starting point, we take the time to understand what matters to you. We want to know what you love about your home, what is not working and what you hope will change. We also consider your future plans, whether that means accommodating a growing family, creating space for teenagers, working from home or making the property easier to live in as you get older.
Your renovation may include
- Replanning existing layouts
- Kitchen, living and dining renovations
- Bedroom and bathroom additions
- Home offices and flexible workspaces
- Extensions and additions
- Improved storage and utility spaces
- Better natural light and ventilation
- Stronger connections to the garden
- New decks and outdoor living areas
- Accessible and adaptable design
- Renovations for multigenerational living
- Material, colour and finish selections
- Complete home transformations
Making the most of what you already have
A renovation does not always need more floor space. By rethinking walls, underused rooms and circulation, we can often make your existing home work much harder. Where an extension is needed, we design it to feel like a natural part of the original home.
Renovating for Brisbane’s climate
We design renovations that respond to Brisbane’s subtropical climate. Orientation, shade, breezes, windows and planting are considered together to create a lighter, cooler and more comfortable home with stronger connections to the outdoors.
Designing for every stage of life
Your home should support you now and adapt as life changes. Flexible rooms, accessible entries, adaptable bathrooms and thoughtful circulation can accommodate growing children, teenagers, ageing parents and your own changing needs.
One home, one clear design direction
We consider the building, interiors and landscape as one connected home. Coordinated layouts, materials, views and outdoor spaces create a more cohesive result and a simpler, calmer design process.
A clear plan before you build
Depending on the renovation package you choose, we can help you
- Clarify your priorities
- Explore different layout options
- Understand how spaces could be improved
- Establish a clear design direction
- Consider your budget during the design process
- Coordinate the house, interiors and garden
- Prepare design documentation
- Communicate the design to builders and consultants
- Navigate planning and building requirements
- Reduce changes and uncertainty during construction
5 Reasons to Choose Orterra
We look at the whole property
Your house, interiors and garden are deeply connected. We consider them together to create a home that feels complete.
We design around real life
We think about where school bags land, how groceries reach the kitchen, where guests gather and whether you can see the children playing outside. These everyday details shape how well a home works.
We listen before we draw
Your renovation should reflect your needs, not a designer’s preferred style. We take the time to understand your household, priorities and ideas before developing the design.
We balance possibility with practicality
We bring creativity to the project while keeping buildability, maintenance, budget and long term use in view.
We help you see the potential
It can be difficult to look beyond an existing layout or years of accumulated changes. We bring a fresh perspective and help you discover what your home could become.
Frequently asked questions
What does a home renovation designer do?
A home renovation designer helps you improve the layout, function, appearance and overall experience of your existing home. This may include spatial planning, additions, extensions, interior design and better connections with outdoor areas. The designer can also prepare documentation and coordinate with builders and other consultants, depending on the scope of service.
When should I engage a renovation designer?
It is best to engage a designer before making major decisions or requesting construction prices. Early design work allows different options to be explored before you commit to a layout, extension or building approach.
Can you help us decide whether to extend or reconfigure?
Yes. We can examine how your existing home is being used and explore whether its problems can be resolved within the current footprint. If more space is needed, we can look at how an addition could improve the whole house rather than simply adding another room.
Can you design the interiors and garden as part of the renovation?
Yes. Orterra Home can bring home renovation, interior design and landscape design together. This allows materials, layouts, views and indoor to outdoor connections to be considered as part of one cohesive design.
Can you help with a small renovation?
Yes. Smaller projects can still involve complex decisions, and thoughtful design can help you use a limited budget and footprint more effectively. Our packages offer different levels of support for projects of varying sizes.
Can you help us renovate in stages?
Yes. We can help you develop a longer term plan and identify a practical order for completing the work. This can reduce the risk of early changes conflicting with future stages.
Do you work with builders and other consultants?
Yes. Depending on your chosen package and project needs, we can communicate with builders and coordinate design information with relevant consultants. Structural engineering, building certification, surveying and other specialist services are provided by appropriately qualified professionals.
Do you only design renovations in Brisbane?
Orterra Home is based in Brisbane and works with homeowners between Hervey Bay in the north, Kingscliff in the south and Toowoomba in the west, as well as across Brisbane, Logan, Redlands, Ipswich and surrounding areas of South East Queensland. Contact us to discuss your property and whether it is within our service area.