Rachel Bending of Bird Textiles
Homes
18th August, 2010
The Byron Bay home of Bird Textiles designer Rachel Bending
Plunge pool!
Kitchen details
Eclectic details in the loungeroom
You know I see a lotttt of gorgeous Australian homes these days… and yet, there is still the odd special one every now and again that really stops me in my tracks! Today’s home, in the hinterland of Byron Bay is one such special place!
This stunning home belongs to Rachel Bending – founder of Sydney-based Bird Textiles, one of Australia’s leading independent sustainable design brands. Rachel’s unique home is beautiful in the most serene, understated way – it really seems as though living here would feel like some kind of never-ending holiday!
HOWEVER, there is more to this gorgeous home than meets the eye! Rachel has been practicing sustainable design for years with Bird Textiles, so of course it was a natural progression to carry this ethos through to the design of her dream home with husband Campbell (a chef and organic farmer). The result proves that it really is possible for a sustainable home to have a contemporary design feel, and Rachel hopes that their unique property might inspire others to make positive changes in their own homes.
Rachel’s house is run on solar power and solar hot water – all the water for drinking, showers, bath, plunge pool and washing machine is harvested from the roof, and waste is disposed of through a greywater reedbed system and compost toilet. Rachel and Campbell are pretty much self sufficient (apart from the phone and internet! :) AMAZING or what!?
For those not familiar with Rachel’s design work, towards the end of the post I have also included a few shots of her beautiful boutique in Sydney’s Surry Hills! Bird Textiles Emporium is based in a heritage listed pharmacy interior, with original cabinetry from 1890’s and so much character!
Well worth a visit next time you’re in Sydney!
Bird Textiles Emporium
380 Cleveland Street
Surry Hills
Sydney
(02) 8399 0230
Outdoor bathroom!!
Bold colour in the bedroom
Rachel at home
Rachel, rabbit, chickens(!!)
House exterior
Too much gorgeousness for one day!!! I had already seen a couple of pics of Rachel’s beautiful eco-friendly house, but this shows the house in a completely new light – love it!
PS: I’ve had the pleasure of working with Rachel recently on my ‘Green with Envy’ sustainable design tours in Surry Hills, as part of the 2010 Sydney Design Festival, and I’d strongly encourage all Sydney-based design lovers to go and explore her Emporium on Cleveland St, it’s really beautiful, in a former century-old pharmacy… And I like how by buying Bird products, I’m doing the right thing for the environment without having to compromise on design ;-)
Absolutely beautiful.
Hello! Found you via Table Tonic – great blog!
That is my dream home. Completely divine. x
Hey Jules,
So true about every day being a holiday living here, just the photos are enough to put me in a better frame of mind…and how about that outdoor bathroom? Jaw-dropping!
x Felicity
Phwoar! Love love love!
Droooool. Thats living!
HA i love the ‘phwoar’ Alex! Sometimes a sound effect is all you need :)
I am jealous of all this blue sky… Melbourne is feeling awfully GREY this week!
Luce xxx
awwww…. is that in heaven? what a view. I don’t think i’d ever leave home. What a beautiful place
wow. love the view. beautiful.
My dream home – I love the outdoor bathroom. I think i would spend my day in the bath, hope the neighbours live a fair way off. I agree with you Lucy i am so over the grey days of melbourne looking forward to spring. Thanks for your great blogging!!
Are those lampshades and cushions in the living room by Cloth,I love them
Oh my, that’s a pretty amazing house…kitchen’s to die for!
definitely one of my fav homes. i love the gorgeous amount of sunshine she gets.
I was lucky enough to meet Rachel at a Winterland Market at Carriageworks a few weeks ago… Her stall was a definite highlight in an otherwise fairly dismal turnout… She struck me as an amazing and resourceful woman, with a great sensibility to work. And now I see that extends to living as well!
I’m glad I’ve been able to see what a special place she calls home.
J’aime le ballet! J’amie le dance! but I am a bag fanatic and love the plie, chasse, jete all day! I need one for my bag collection!
Ballet is the most stylish, dignified art form… and the ballet bag would help with my own style…
(I have only discovered your blog recently and I LOVE it!!)
– et tutu?
Love this homes exterior but I was not expecting this type of decor from the outside. {It’s true: don’t judge a book by its cover.”