2020 has proven to be a year unlike any other and for many, Christmas is looking a little different than usual… Better Homes and Gardens included! This year, half of our team are in Sydney and the other half in Melbourne… so we're celebrating Christmas TWICE! Tonight, we're sharing two heart-warming makeovers, plus twice as much fun, food and festivity. There's even a pair of miniature donkeys involved! So join the team for what's set to be our biggest Christmas yet!

It may seem like a lifetime ago now, but the year began with some of the worst bushfires in recent history. For those affected, these fires are impossible to forget: with lives and homes lost and communities forever changed.

This is especially true for Balmoral, a small village in the Southern Highlands of NSW with a population of a little over 400. During the 2019-2020 bushfires, 18 houses were destroyed, alongside 90 per cent of the surrounding bushland. But thanks to the hard work of the local fire fighters and the entire community, one very special building survived: the Balmoral village hall.

This community hall means a lot to the locals. It's their meeting place and also a symbol of their refusal to give in to the fires. But it's looking a little worse for wear… and that's where Better Homes & Gardens come in!

Johanna, Charlie, Tara, James and Pete are helping to repair and rebuild this very important building… and hopefully help this hard-hit but very loving community come back to life, too. From the kitchen to the garden and everything in between, this hall will be totally transformed.

Village hall before renovation

The village hall before the BHG team's makeover

Village hall

The dazzling 'after'!

Sue Ferris

Kitchen facelift

Is your kitchen dated but a full reno isn't on the cards? It's amazing what new benchtops, cabinetry and paint can do, plus glam details such as this pressed metal splashback (visit pressedtinpanels.com). And a mobile kitchen island and floating shelves boost storage.

Old kitchen

The kitchen before the team worked their magic

Kitchen makeover

The gorgeous 'after'

Sue Ferris

Pressed tin metal splashback kitchen

The pressed metal makes a stunning splashback

Sue Ferris

Dining hall makeover

Your dining area probably isn't this spacious, but you can still steal the idea of bench seating for when you're feeding a crowd this Christmas. And the botanical print table linen and greenery work at any time.

Old village hall

Before BHG's transformation

Village hall makeover

After: What a difference!

Sue Ferris

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Johanna Griggs AM

Johanna Griggs is thrilled to have hosted Australia's number one lifestyle show, Better Homes and Gardens, for the past 17 years. Who wouldn't want to be invited in for a personal tour of Australia's most-loved celebrities' homes?