Jonno and Lucy, the Victorian couple behind the popular online building, renovation and interior design site ‘Hunting for George’ and YouTube channel ‘Reno Goals’, have launched into yet another ambitious building project that their thousands of followers will be excitedly following.

Midway through their home reno on Victoria’s spectacular Great Ocean Road, they discovered they were having a baby (impeccable timing), so they paused work on the house to focus on the large shed they had planned adjoining the house – a multi-task structure that they could both work from as well as using it for storage for things that wouldn’t fit in the house (apparently, mainly Jonno’s ‘toys’).

Lucy was adamant about not having to paint any of the exterior of their “Big Shed” (”Never again” she happily states) so COLORBOND® steel was the perfect choice for the roof and wall cladding. Colour selection was the next step, a tricky process for many people, but one that doesn’t have to be too daunting when approached in the right way, as Lucy explains. COLORBOND® steel’s 22 colours are all inspired by Australia’s natural beauty – choosing the right colour can be as simple as looking to your local environment for inspiration – a good tip for wherever you are building. “I chose colours from the COLORBOND® steel swatch book” explains Lucy. “This is a really great resource, and I also had a flick through these COLORBOND steel brochures as well, for inspiration”.

They ended up with a final five to choose from: Bluegum® (yes, inspired by the surrounding trees of the same name), Monument® (very popular in modern houses), Woodland Grey® (with an interesting greenish undertone), Wallaby® (a soft, warm grey that sits well in the natural environment), and Gully® (another warm grey with a hint of green).

The winner was Woodland Grey® with Lucy loving the way with it worked with all of their other design elements. “I love the way it picks up on these surrounding colours with the rich earthy browns, the greens, the blues, the charcoals. It is that chameleon colour, so it recedes into the background. It's still strong and dominant without being overbearing”.

Stay up to date with their reno journey and how they integrate the COLORBOND® steel shed with the exterior of the rest of their home.

Jonno and Lucy from the ‘Hunting for George’ online building, renovation and interior design site are back with a comprehensive guide to choosing home exteriors. Yet again doing things slightly in reverse (yes, they did totally renovate their backyard “Big Shed” before moving on to the house), this time they’re doing the exterior of the house after completing much of the interior styling. It’s a big job! “We really do want to retain the history and charm of this home” says Lucy. “That being said, the exterior at the moment is a disaster.”

Two factors influenced their colour and material choices for the house’s new exterior. One is the proximity to the “Big Shed”, which features external cladding and roofing made from COLORBOND® steel in Woodland Grey®, together with a timber feature wall. They wanted the house and shed to be linked, but to still have their own identity.

“I want the cabin to be connected to the shed quite literally, through pathways and landscaping,” explains Lucy. “But I also want the cabin exterior to feel connected aesthetically while still identifying a slight separation.”

Secondly, they wanted the vision they’ve already created in the interior to work well with the exterior. Inside, they’ve gone with very earthy tones, deep greens, warm neutrals, and lots of timber. So that was the mission - complement the colour of the shed (while keeping the house’s own identity),and reflect what they’ve already created inside...outside.

Seeking inspiration from the surrounding natural environment, they gravitated towards three colours for the exterior – Wallaby®, Woodland Grey®, and Gully®. The choice in the end was Gully®, a colour they thought worked wonderfully with the shed’s Woodland Grey®. It creates a subtle separation between the two buildings, the Gully® contrasting with its slightly lighter tone. At the same time, it works brilliantly with the earthy tones of the interior. Lucy has two big tips for prospective new home builders or renovators.

“Make sure you order COLORBOND® steel swatches, so you can actually put them in the environment, put them outside, look at them at different times of day, because that will really impact how the colour looks within your environment.”

Secondly, make use of a digital visualiser like the one COLORBOND® have on their website. “You can select a house design that is similar to yours...you can select and change different areas of the house, from your roof, colour, to your wall cladding.” It’s a fast and convenient way of seeing how your ideas come together.