BEST OF AUSTRALIAN HOMES 2012 · Andrea Millar and Family

The Rozelle home of Andrea Millar and family.  Vintage artworks from Rozelle Markets and local auction houses.  Sunday school benches and dining table from David met Nicole.  Lantern purchased in Morocco and lugged across Europe by Andrea!  Photo by Felix Forest, production by Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Lovely light filled kitchen - stainless kitchen bench purchased on ebay. Photo - Felix Forest, production - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

WELL hello 2013 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Hope you all had a smashing night last night... as I type it's actually New Year's Eve, and I'm in Sydney, housesitting a beautiful apartment in Double Bay.  Gotta love a change of scenery!  We're planning for a quiet evening, a bottle of sparkling and maybe a glimpse at fireworks if we can bear the crowds... am a bit apprehensive about the Sydney NYE party-goers!  Fingers crossed! ANYWAY, given I'm in Sydney this week, it seems fitting to re-visit another beautiful Sydney home which we first shared in back in July.   This gorgeous little family pad is another of my personal faves from the TDF archive - it's in Sydney's Rozelle, and belongs to Andrea Millar and husband Ben, and their boys Sebastian (5) and Casper (2). What is interesting about this home, and what resonated with many of you when we first published this story, is that this isn't actually Andrea and Ben's first 'dream home'.  Before moving here, home for the Millar family was a large house on a big block, 45 minutes from the CBD in Turramurra on Sydney's Upper North Shore.  After the birth of their first child, Andrea and Ben had made the move from Sydney's inner west to Turramurra for all the usual reasons - more space, bigger garden, room to grow.  Here the Millar family created what they thought would be their 'forever house'. But, sometimes your dream home isn't everything it's cracked up to be. 'We lived there for three years only to realise that more space and a bigger garden meant more work!' says Andrea. 'I never saw Ben, he was always wrestling with that bush block on weekends'.  And so, three years on, and after the birth of their second child, the Millar family downsized, moving into this pretty little weatherboard in Sydney's inner west.  'We moved back to a little garden and very little space, but there is (just) enough room for us and we love the neighbourhood' says Andrea.  The atmosphere, the coffee, the people, the restaurants and markets within walking distance are a constant reminder of just why Andrea and Ben made the decision to move back into town, despite having to compromise a little on space. For the full story and many more pics, do re-visit the original post!

Vintage artwork from Rozelle Markets.  Sunday school bench from David met Nicole.  Photo by Felix Forest, production by Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Master bedroom.  Photo - Felix Forest, production - Lucy Feagins / The Design Files