In Bed With Zenn – Kyal and Kara

What year did you first debut on The Block and how many renovations had you done prior to this?  
We first debuted on the 2014 Series of The Block “Fans Vs Favs”. We had just spent the past few years prior to this completing the renovation of our first home. We were ready for our next challenge and so when auditions opened, we thought it would be a fun experience. I was a physiotherapist at the time and Kyal was a carpenter. 

What’s your biggest tip for renovators starting out?
Have a grand plan for your renovation to work towards, but most importantly, break that grand plan up into smaller more achievable goals that you can get started on straight away. For example, when we purchased our first home renovation all those years ago, we knew we wanted to complete a large extension, including a new kitchen/living dining and master bedroom, but we certainly didn’t have the budget to do this initially. 
With our grand plan in mind, we began working on things that would help us reach this point. We painted the existing home, completed retaining walls, cleaned up the gardens, replaced windows on the façade of the home etc etc. All these things added value and also assisted in getting the home ready for the big extension. We were able to refinance from what we had achieved and begin the larger extension. This extension took a few years and that was totally fine – as we knew we were working towards our goal.

Who has impacted your journey to date the most and why?
We’ve always loved the renovation process and knew that we wanted to renovate homes to get ahead, but it wasn’t until after we completed The Block that we had the confidence to leave our day jobs and renovate homes for a living. We’re eternally grateful for the experiences we had on The Block and the opportunities that it has allowed. 

How would you describe your home style and vibe?
We’d describe our home as having a relaxed, coastal resort style. Our home is layered with texture and subtle colour, all inspired by our favourite place to be – the beach! 

You’ve always been a great supporter of Zenn (TY!) Why the Krystal?
We love the curves of the Krystal bed, which work so well with the exterior and interior architectural curves of our Blue Lagoon home. The Krystal bed sits beautifully within the studio bedroom with its arch feature entryway and the fabric is so textural and warm. 

What do you love about bespoke design pieces for your home and why?
We love using bespoke design pieces within the home to create an interior that’s unique to the individual. It’s so important that home is a reflection of your personality, and using handcrafted pieces is such a great way to achieve this.

Your room has such a serene sense of calm. Do you have any night-time rituals or have a process to help you achieve a sense of zen?
Our night time ritual is pretty simple, we love turning off any overhead lighting, by creating a moody vibe with pendants and wall lights. We also love lighting a candle or burning some incense.

Can you see yourself doing anything other than renovating/building? Is there a pivot you’d like to make someday? 
We can’t see ourselves doing anything else at the moment – but there’s one thing in life that’s certain and that is change so you just never know! I’ve already had one huge career change and I certainly wouldn’t rule out another. 

Tell us what you’re coveting right now?
An original artwork from Analisa Saltwater Women (@saltwaterwoman_)  

Shop the Look

Bed: Krystal Fully Upholstered Bed in Favio Buff

Image Credits
Side Tables: Snooze
Lamp: Pendants from Bisque
Objects: KK homewares
Linen: Cultiver