Homes

Helen Gory

Helen Gory ran a respected commercial art gallery in Prahran for 20 years before closing her business in 2013 to concentrate on other projects (and her grandkids!).

Her renovated Victorian cottage in Elsternwick is a refined, pared back space which showcases many of her favourite Australian artists.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins
Supported by Dulux

The Elsternwick home of Helen Gory.  Above – lounge room, showcasing various art collected by Helen Gory during the 20 years she ran her gallery, including her treasured 2002 Rhys Lee painting, from his first exhibition in her gallery. The Featherston coffee table was found in a junk shop many years ago. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bedroom detail. Artwork by Lucas Grogan, with a pair of kitsch lamps purchased at Chapel Street Bazaar. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Lounge room. Artworks by Jacqui Stockdale, Deborah Klein, and Rhys Lee. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Dining room. ‘The success here is the high shelf on the left, where I can display my collectibles. I bought the blue jug above the cupboard at the Indigenous Cairns Art Fair,’ mentions Helen. Gold framed artwork by Nicholas Jones. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Master bedroom detail. ‘The bear couch was a great find at 21st Century Design that I had re-upholstered,’ says Helen. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Kitchen. The splash back is features Helen’s own collage artwork, printed onto the glass. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

‘My house is always busy with visits from my kids and grandchildren. My daughter Sarah is an exceptional cook and her evocative food blog is highgatehillkitchen.com – this cake is one of my favourites, a saffron and aniseed cake with maple buttercream frosting topped with homemade candied pistachios.’ Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Bathroom featuring amazing bucket-shaped bathtub – the perfect solution for a proper sit-down bath in a small bathroom. ‘I love the round tub! It is a treat, the perfect size for one person or lots of grandchildren,’ says Helen. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Master Bedroom. Artwork above the bedhead by Jacqui Stockdale  with hand carved frame. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Helen’s home studio. ‘I found this massive book case at a closing down sale,’ says Helen. ‘The kmooshy dolls on the left, I make by hand.’ Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Artworks by Helen Gory including analogue collages, some with oil pastel, using found images on paperPhoto – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
29th of June 2016

Artist and former gallerist Helen Gory bought her Victorian home in Elsternwick in 2014. A year later, she undertook major renovations, with the help of her carpenter friend James Greenwood. The lounge room and dining room were opened up, turning the rear of the home into an open-plan space, whilst the kitchen and laundry were completely redesigned. The bathroom was gutted and re-built too, incorporating the most amazing little bucket-shaped tub – the perfect bathing solution when space is at a premium!

Helen’s only concern after buying the house was a lack of North facing windows, a problem she tackled by installing a number of skylights, which really transformed the feel of the house. ‘The best thing I did was to put in north facing skylights along the hallway’ she says. ‘With the original Victorian cornices and skirting, it feels rather cathedral-esque with high ceilings and lots of natural light all day.’ Additionally, in the lounge and dining rooms, existing windows were replaced with french doors, allowing airflow and a connection with the outdoors.

Lastly, the home’s 125 year old timber floorboards were polished with black Japanese lacquer – so bold and dramatic!

Helen’s great passions in life are art, and her family, and her house has been designed around both. Her handcrafted timber dining table, designed by a friend, is roomy enough to fit all her children, grandchildren and friends, and is one of her favourite places to be.

Her MOST favourite thing in the house, though, is the artwork. 95% of Helen’s personal art collection hangs floor to ceiling in her long hallway (sadly this made it quite difficult to photograph in its entirety!) ‘I collected each piece over the 20 years I was running my gallery, each has its own story and fond memories’ she says.

‘I love the long hallway that houses 95% of my art collection. It’s salon hung, and works a treat. People are always amazed at how well it works.’ – Helen

Helen is also very fond of the classic Victorian exterior of her home (pictured below). ‘I love the front entrance, the garden, the gate and the porch’ she says. ‘I feel like my house smiles to me every time I come home.’

Helen outside her home with her daughter Sarah. Photo – Annette O’Brien. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

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