A 1970s detached villa in Mount Waverley underwent comprehensive internal renovation including wall reconfiguration, ceiling replacement across all rooms, and full plasterboard lining refurbishment — preparing the home for a contemporary open-plan layout while preserving the character of the original structure.
Renovation Background
The villa's original layout featured enclosed formal dining, separate kitchen, and small bedrooms disconnected from the generous block size. The new owners — empty nesters downsizing from a larger property but wanting space for visiting family — commissioned an architect to redesign the interior for open-plan living while adding a master suite with walk-in robe.
Aikon Interior was engaged by the residential builder as the specialist lining subcontractor after the builder's usual plasterer became unavailable mid-programme. We inherited partially demolished walls and an accelerated timeline to avoid delaying the builder's other commitments. Mobilisation occurred within four business days of enquiry.
Scope of Lining Works
- Removal of existing plasterboard throughout (builder-managed demolition)
- New partitions for master suite and walk-in robe
- Opening up between kitchen, dining and living with bulkhead treatment
- New ceiling linings with updated insulation and recessed lighting provisions
- Moisture-resistant board in bathroom zones
- Level 4 flush throughout with Level 5 feature wall in living area
- Patch and junction treatment at retained structural elements
Level 5 Feature Wall
The architect specified a Level 5 finish on the living area's feature wall — a surface that would receive a high-sheen paint system under a skylight introducing critical side-lighting. Level 5 requires a full skim coat over the entire surface, not just joint treatment, to eliminate telegraphing of board joints and fasteners under raking light.
Aikon Interior allocated our most experienced flusher to this surface, applying a skim coat in two passes with sanding and inspection between coats. The painter subsequently confirmed it was the best-prepared surface on any project in their current workload — a standard we apply whenever Level 5 is specified, regardless of project scale.
Integration with Builder Programme
Entering mid-programme required rapid assessment of existing conditions and alignment with the builder's remaining trade sequence. We attended a coordination meeting within 48 hours of engagement, identified three areas where prior demolition had left framing that did not match the architectural drawings, and raised variations before commencing installation.
Our lining works completed two days ahead of the builder's internal milestone, allowing the painting trade to commence early. The builder has since included Aikon Interior on their preferred subcontractor list for renovation projects in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
Master Suite Construction
The new master suite combined a bedroom, walk-in robe and ensuite access within the original front wing of the villa. Partition construction defined the robe storage zone with full-height walls and a sliding door opening sized to the joiner's hardware specification. Moisture-resistant board was installed in the ensuite-adjacent zones with standard plasterboard in the bedroom and robe areas.
Ceiling linings in the master suite incorporated recessed LED downlight provisions coordinated with the electrician's rough-in schedule. The ceiling height was maintained at the original 2.7 metres — matching the character of the existing villa rooms rather than lowering to accommodate services, which were routed through the roof space above.
280 m²
Full internal lining refurbishment across all living, bedroom and circulation areas of the detached villa.
Level 5 Feature Wall
Living area feature wall skim-coated to Level 5 under critical skylight lighting — paint-ready without rectification.
2 Days Ahead
Lining works completed ahead of builder milestone, enabling early commencement of the painting trade.
Project Gallery
Outcome: Full lining refurbishment completed ahead of programme. Level 5 feature wall achieved paint-ready standard under critical lighting. Builder retained Aikon Interior for subsequent renovation projects.
Open-Plan Transformation
The architect's design removed the wall between the original formal dining room and the kitchen, creating a single open living zone spanning the full width of the villa's rear wing. The structural beam above the opening was boxed with plasterboard bulkhead construction, concealing the steel and providing a clean transition between the lowered bulkhead zone and the standard 2.7-metre ceiling height in adjacent rooms. This bulkhead detail is the most photographed element of the renovation — the junction between old and new construction that homeowners scrutinise most closely.
New ceiling linings throughout the open-plan zone incorporated recessed LED downlights at 1,200mm centres, coordinated with the electrician's rough-in before board fixing. The ceiling plane was laser-levelled to eliminate the visible sag that existed in the original 1970s lining — a common defect in villas of this era where fixing standards did not require the edge support and screw spacing mandated by current manufacturer specifications.
Builder Relationship
Entering a project mid-programme requires rapid trust establishment with the builder's site supervisor. Within the first 48 hours of engagement, our supervisor identified three framing discrepancies left by the demolition contractor and documented them with photographs before raising variations. This proactive approach — identifying issues before they became concealed defects — demonstrated the quality accountability the builder needed to confidently recommend us to subsequent clients.