Meredith & Hugo's Home Makeover

About Room Reno Remedy:

We at Jen Clark Spaces, based in Collingwood, Melbourne, launched a competition in February 2016 called ‘Room Reno Remedy’, with the aim of fully crowdfunding the renovation of one worthy recipient’s room of choice, including all materials, trade services, furniture, appliances and related 

We received over 120 nominations to the call for entries and in mid-March – after an incredibly challenging decision-making process – determined a winner. Meredith Kerr and her son Hugo, of Reservoir in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Meredith was nominated by long-term friend, Justine Sless.

We’ll be aiming to renovate as much of Meredith and Hugo’s three bedroom unit as the crowdfunding campaign will enable, with a priority on modernising and improving the kitchen.

We would warmly welcome donations from tradespeople, business owners and other generous locals of time, materials, fittings, appliances and furniture. Please get in touch with Jen Clark directly if you’d like to contribute to the project in some way.

We’re aiming to commence the renovation in May / June, 2016.

For more info about Jen Clark Spaces visit: 

www.jenclarkspaces.com.au

Please note: JCS are volunteering / donating their time, services and expertise IN FULL for this project and will not be recompensed financially in any way, shape or form.  A balance sheet of how all funds raised were allocated to various materials, trades etc will be available to anyone to view at any stage. 

From Jen Clark:

Meredith is a highly deserving winner. We can see how much love and effort she has put into finding a home for herself and her son, after many tough years. Meredith is the sort of person who will always make the best of her circumstances, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a helping hand - and in this case we can we see the potential to turn a very dated unit into a highly practical and welcoming home for two beautiful people. Despite her own struggles, Meredith is very generous. We know it goes against her instincts to ask others for help – so we’re doing it for her!

From Meredith Kerr:

Hi, I’m Meredith Kerr. I’m blown away to have won the Room Reno Remedy Competition created by Jen Clark Spaces. What a great initiative!

I don’t want to be all ‘woe is me’, but this is my story. I am a single parent to my ten-year-old son, Hugo. Tragically, Hugo’s dad died in a motorbike accident just a couple of weeks before he was born, so it’s been the two of us for years – and it hasn’t always been easy. I am a breast cancer survivor and have been through the physical and emotional rigours of chemo and operations. When Hugo was a toddler, I took night classes in business and accounting. Now I have a good part-time job in the not-for-profit sector.

Here’s the deal: I’ve just bought a little unit for me and Hugo to live in. It’s a shitbox, but it’s our shitbox. We’re thrilled to finally get out of the rental cycle, but it’s in need of a big makeover and without help, that won't be happening anytime this century.

1979 may have been a great year for music, but it wasn’t so great for interior design. The bathroom and kitchen haven’t been updated at all and are functional at best. Mission brown features prominently. Truth be told, it’s a bit depressing.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got lots of good mates who lend heaps of support in all sorts of way, but it’s pushing the friendship a bit to ask if they can pop over to gut the bathroom or install a new kitchen sink. And my family all live interstate.

I know that there are a lot of people who are a lot worse off than me, but this renovation will really make an enormous difference to our lives and spirits.  

I am so humbled by this opportunity and thank you in advance for kicking in to makeover our home.

From Justine Sless (Meredith's friend, who nominated her):

Meredith is one of those women who I’d classify as a ‘top chick': funny, says it like it is and bloody hard-working. She’s always been a single parent – when her partner died in a motorcycle accident two weeks before Hugo’s birth, it cut short Meredith's promising career as an opera singer. 

I have seen Meredith work through cancer, chemotherapy, a mastectomy, then a breast reconstruction, all with a steely nerve and an unwavering lack of self-pity.

As well as working in the not-for-profit sector, Meredith volunteers as a board member for an indigenous arts organisation. Amazingly, she has saved up enough cash to buy her first home – a testament to her hard work and judicious financial management. Buying her own home is a really significant step for Meredith – as it is for all first-home owners – but I'd say more so for Meredith, because it gives her Hugo a much-needed sense of security.

I'd love nothing more than to see their place embody the same warmth, care and love that characterise them as a family.