Bernadette is highly regarded as both a mentor and a speaker. Her work has been covered in various publications, including the Australian Financial Review and Prevention Magazine. She and Stephen currently reside in Sydney’s Redfern where they enjoy a diverse lifestyle with their children and grandchildren.

Bernadette, who was born in Gippsland in 1958, moved with her family to a dairy farm in Central Victoria. At the age of 13, she had her first experience with renovating when she redecorated her bedroom, and this experience taught her not only about the physical changes that can be made through renovation, but also about the sense of empowerment and self-worth it can bring.

At 30 years old, Bernadette decided to retire from nursing in order to raise her four children. During this time, renovating served as a productive outlet for her creativity. She quickly combined her own renovation skills with her husband Stephen’s project management techniques to create a system that generated $100,000 in profit for each project. The School of Renovating was created as a platform for Bernadette to share her renovation knowledge and experience. It has since grown into a community of individuals with similar renovation interests, who provide inspiration, motivation and support to one another.