From 'disgusting' to 'modern retro': One couple's journey transforming a coastal villa

• Owners: Tarsha Christie Caiaffa and Iggy Caiaffa
• Location: Tweed Heads, New South Wales
• Project timeline: Early 2024 – December 2024
• Most expensive cost: Bathroom ($12,000)
• Where the most money was saved: Installing flooring and kitchen cabinetry, DIY staircase balustrade

Although just a few minutes’ from world-class beaches and surf breaks, Tarsha Christie Caiaffa and her husband, Iggy, did not want their location to dictate their renovation style.

“Going into the renovation, my main thing was not going coastal white and beige,” Tarsha says. “That is so nice for some people but it’s not our personality, it’s just not us.”

Instead, they followed their hearts to create a modern retro delight – bold, colourful and unapologetically eclectic.

The young newlyweds moved into their two-bedroom villa in the heart of Tweed Heads, the border town straddling NSW and Queensland, in early 2024.

In its original condition, the property was borderline unliveable, Tarsha recalls. “My first impression was ‘this is disgusting’. There were mouldy carpets, lime green walls and the kitchen cabinets were falling apart.”

But priced at $450,000, it was their entry point into the property market and the couple were keen to try their hand at DIY renovations. “I’ve always been in the arts, so always thought it would be fun,” Tarsha says. “I had a very loose design of what I wanted, but I’d never renovated before and never engaged much with interiors.”

The couple adored the sunken loungeroom and the exposed brick walls, which set the tone for the renovation. “I then knew I wanted dark timber floors,” Tarsha says.

“Iggy is rock’n’roll until you die. That’s where his soul is. My style lives there too so it naturally just happened. We didn’t go back and forth on style at all.”

Tarsha, a muralist and creative director, and Iggy, a former chef and labourer, set out to complete as much of the renovation as they could without hired help.

The couple installed all of the flooring, cement-rendered the ceiling, put in new doors, installed new kitchen cabinetry, installed a new laundry, built steps from the sunken lounge into the kitchen and painted all the interiors.

The only features of the home that weren’t replaced were the original mustard square tiles in the laundry, the shower tiling and the timber stairs.

After

Before

“The first seven months were really full on,” says Tarsha. “I couldn’t switch off. Every day you can see things that need to be done. It was chaotic.”

The couple relied on online tutorial videos and guides, as well as the wisdom and labour of family and friends – a strategy which undoubtedly saved them tens of thousands of dollars.

Tarsha recalls receiving a $7000 quote to replace the railing on the staircase. Instead, they sanded and polished the stairs, knocked down the balustrade and built their own from a series of powder-coated cylindrical aluminium slats attached to a timber beam – at a cost of just $600.

“Initially it was a cheaper option than getting a railing done, but aesthetically I thought it would look amazing,” she says. “When we were actually doing it, holding all the slats in place and putting the beam on, it was really fiddly.”

Their penchant for DIY projects continued: building their own bench seat, coffee table, bookcase and bedside tables – despite having no previous skills in woodworking.

After

Before

For more complex pieces, Tarsha designed and commissioned custom pieces – such as the island bench welded together and topped with tempered glass, and the impressive courtyard seating bench by Forma Built.

Originally, they had planned to build a deck in the courtyard but instead opted for large chequered tiles, which they installed and grouted themselves.

The upswing of saving money on labour and tradespeople meant the couple could opt for higher quality materials and products. “We splurged on our tiles,” Tarsha says. “The courtyard has natural stone, they’re gorgeous.”

In an impressive feat, she estimates the main renovations cost roughly $50,000. With furniture and styling, this puts the total bill at $70,000.

“We saved a lot of money doing it ourselves. Installing the floors on our own saved $10,000 plus!

“Seeing how it’s come together, I’m so glad we were brave enough to go bold and fall into the colours. It’s definitely louder than I initially thought it would be. But now, I wish I had gone louder. If I had felt this comfortable when we started, it would be louder.”

While renovations can strain relationships and plunge budgets into crisis, Tarsha has thoroughly enjoyed the process and has since been commissioned to lead the renovation and styling of a cafe in Noosa Heads.

“I want to do it all again, for sure. But I think Iggy needs a little breather.”