Layering underpins Carolyn Burns-McCrave's six renovation House Rules

Interior designer Carolyn Burns-McCrave from Channel Seven’s renovation show House Rules has put together a house rules list for those dabbling in DIY.

Burns-McCrave says a good floor plan is at the heart of a successful design and that each space should be tailored to the people who live there.

Burns-McCrave (pictured below) says she likes to work from the inside out; creating spaces that function and flow before thinking about colours and accessories.

This involves maximise light and space, as well as garden views before layering on the pretty – that is, furniture, artwork and accessories.

House Rules has been renewed for a second series with the Channel 7 ratings sitting above one million after a slow start.

The Burns-McCrave’s six house rules given to CommBank customers were:

1. Take a good look at what you are renovating before you start. Do you need to make any structural alterations? Do you need to repair anything, or just beautify it? Are the essentials – plumbing and electrics – in order?

2. Make a wishlist of all the changes you would love to make, whether you believe they are possible or not.

3. Enlist professionals. Even if it’s just for a one-off visit, a design professional will know if and how your dreams can become a reality. They’ll also have a ballpark idea of price, so you can start to work out if what you want is within your budget.

4. Work out the logistics. a) Will you do this all at once or bit by bit? And b) Will you live in the house while work is underway? Or will life be easier (and less dusty) if you move out for a few months? How will where you live affect the rate of progress of your reno and your stress levels?

5. Find a builder you can work with. Get at least three quotes and talk to the builders to get a feel for how they interact and deal with potential crises. Ask for personal references so you can find out how other people experienced working with them.

6. Don’t be afraid to do something different. Just because your idea hasn’t been featured in a home magazine or on TV doesn’t mean it won’t work and won’t be fabulous. Remember this is your project, and you are the boss.

Setting up her own interior design business, Burns McCrave Design, with her husband Leonard six years ago, Carolyn loves being an interior designer.

“I take great delight in figuring out what my clients want and giving them a well thought out floor plan that will cater to all their practical needs,” says Carolyn.

“It’s about layering all the beautiful things that make it look as if it has all been thrown together when in fact it has been styled within an inch of its life.”

Recalling her favourite childhood memories as “going to display homes and looking at beautifully designed houses”, Carolyn has seemingly always been obsessed with design.

She readily admits she spent most of the 1980s moving her parents’ furniture around, sponging walls and using baking paper to trace over real estate floor plans. After completing a diploma of arts in interior decoration and design, Carolyn spent eight years working at the Melbourne design firm SJB Interiors, before setting up her own business.

Designing and renovating her own house, a 1950s cottage, with her building designer husband, Carolyn loves mixing expensive designer furniture, such as her original Herman Miller Noguchi coffee table, with furnishings from Ikea to give a layered, personal look which she says is in vogue at the moment.

Carolyn assists the six contestant couples who are then scored by the show's judges.

They are Sydney-based architect Joe Snell who completed a Bachelor of Science with a major in architecture and moved to London to become a real estate agent for two years.

Upon returning, Snell completed his Bachelor of Architecture at The University of Sydney and joined his father's firm, Snell Architects.

Snell judges House Rules alongside Wendy Moore, who is the editor of Home Beautiful magazine and has been in the magazine industry for more than 20 years.

Moore (pictured below) became editor in 2006, having previously worked on Australian Women's Weekly, Woman's Day and Burke's Backyard magazine.