08 9332 2294 
The house itself is over a century old so a number of unique problems presented themselves.
While Steve and Julie have called Toodyay home for nearly 20 years, Toodyay has been home to Steve’s family for very much longer. Julie and Steve bought their home in Toodyay in the early 2000’s. The house itself is over a century old, so when they decided to renovate and extend their home, a number of unique problems presented themselves.
Old buildings can be full of surprises and Julie and Steve’s home was no exception. Here was home on limestone foundations and the walls were built from mud bricks that were made on-site over 100 years ago. Steve knew that their project would involve a level of complexity that required specialist knowledge and skills. This was not the sort of project that you would give to any old builder. But Steve had an ace up his sleeve. He’d known John Bodin for more than 20 years and he knew the kind of work John and his team were able to do. So he knew John’s One Design and Construct was the right people for the job.
Of course, the extension and renovation had to be sympathetic in its design in order to match the original building and blend in with the surrounding landscape. That design was extended to the use of local materials, such as Toodyay stone, which were very close to the materials that the original builders would have sourced all those years ago. The building also threw up a few special challenges. The limestone foundation had to be reinforced to support the new work.
Besides John and the team ensuring that everything was perfectly structurally sound, Steve was also impressed with John’s willingness to provide creative solutions to problems. For example, the flooring in the original building was a very earthy brown colour and John was able to design a concrete moulded kitchen bench that matched everything very nicely.
What impressed Julie and Steve the most was the entire team’s dedication to providing quality workmanship and attention to detail. The finished home is on two levels, and a lovely example of that workmanship and attention to detail is in the amazing railing that John’s carpenter, Ashley, built for the staircase. The railing both compliments the heritage of the building and stands alone as an artwork in itself. John and his team are rightly proud that their attention to detail and quality workmanship extends to every corner of the house and marks the building as truly superior in every way.
Julie and Steve are so happy that they put their trust in John and the 1DC team. To John’s mind, a house is always someone’s home, and every home deserves detailed quality workmanship. It’s where you live and needs to be done the right way, and that is exactly why Julie and Steve are so happy with the end result.
