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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Today’s stunning home in Merricks on the Mornington Peninsula is a much loved weekender for Melbourne-based designer Sarah Quin, her husband John, and their three kids, Charlie (9), Max (7) and Ruby (5).
Sarah and John bought the property 4 years ago, and set about transforming it both inside and out. ‘We renovated about a year after moving in, generally working within the existing structure’ says Sarah. A large workshop used by the previous owner for his furniture restoration business was turned into a fantastic kids rumpus room and two extra bedrooms, whilst the bathrooms and kitchen were updated, and the home brightened throughout with the addition of larger windows and French doors. ‘Our favourite ‘picture window’ in the living room was originally a small, low sliding door’ says Sarah. ‘It now creates a beautiful frame of the garden and Westernport Bay beyond’.
The rambling grounds, which are SERIOUSLY impressive, also presented an enormous challenge. When Sarah and John first took on the property, the garden was very ‘English’ – thus very thirsty and labour intensive, so Sarah has slowly changed this, adding more coastal and drought tolerant plants. The family also now have a fantastic vegie garden and orchard starting to produce lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sarah has worked in the furniture and homewares industry for many years, and so of course her home also presents the perfect testing ground for new pieces from her textiles and soft furnishings label, Canvas Home.
After studying Textiles and Interior Design, and working for over twenty years in the homewares industry for various retail and wholesale brands in Australia, Sarah launched her wholesale business as an outlet for her love of unique textiles, colour and pattern. ‘My vision has been to create collections of soft furnishings for the home utilising unique traditional hand block printing by artisans in India’ says Sarah. ‘I love travelling and sourcing beautiful things for the home, and the business now allows me to take off on adventures to some really amazing and inspiring places’. Canvas Home was born from the idea that even when starting with a blank canvas, textiles can transform any environment.
‘This home will always be a work in progress, but we love arriving after a busy week at work and school on a Friday night, and opening all the doors and going for a walk in the garden with a glass of wine’ says Sarah. ‘We especially enjoy inviting friends down for weekends and having long lunches and not having to rush off anywhere else. You really feel a million miles away from anywhere here…. It also helps that our neighbour has a lovely vineyard and cellar door if we run out of wine!’.
Ahhh is all sounds too blissful doesn’t it!? I get the feeling that despite running her own business, travelling regularly to India, and being Mum to three busy kids, Sarah has the work / life balance thing seriously sorted. Something to aspire to!
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Love love love!!!!
Sarah how gorgeous!
Such a beautiful home and such beautiful cushions to boot!
Beautiful, very grown up. That pool fence is splendid indeed.
I want this gorgeous house!
I am so jealous!
What a beautiful home. Looks like you could slip away and move in….Love Red Hill and Merricks. Gorgeous Getaway – so jealous!
Recycled timber and copper pipe fence is a great idea I will use. The garden is spectacular. Love the natural understated feel of the home as well!
What a beautiful calm home! Sarah is lucky to have a getaway haven like this!
Love that pool fence! Worth the wait Sarah.
This house is styled , I’d be to uncomfortable to sit anywhere in case I disturbed the arrangement.
there are 3 kids under 10 living in this house? whilst it is all very pretty i do prefer the beauty of a more creative, messy, lived in home that realistically exudes the personality of the family that live in it.
This house looks so relaxing and beautiful. Having children in the house doesn’t mean there has to chaos. Love the garden. No doubt the children spend most of their time outside.
And that hall table – stunning!
Love the open fresh feeling of this house! And what an amazing driveway!! Perfect
One of my favourites – beautiful!!
Quite perfect. I love it. Well done Sarah.
Gorgeous shots and great to see Sasson furnture looking so fab! Sarah’s got a great eye.
So beautiful! Sarah, if you ever want to sell this place look me up and I’ll make an offer!
Such a beautiful home. The picture window in the loungeroom is stunning. Wanting to use something similar in our new build.
Hi Lucy, I just wanted to say congrats on shooting and presenting beautiful houses that are homes where real people live. I love clean stark white lines as much as anybody – but for most families (dare I generalise and declare anyone with children, or children like mine) the modern chic house is as far from a practical reality as we can get. But today’s home is a testament to beautiful and practical design and real living. Well done Sarah, John and no doubt their little “helpers”!
House looks so beautiful Lou…well done…I have a very clever sister!
love the loungeroom coffee table! where did it come from?
Another gorgeous house Sarah! Totally understand why you’re in hurry to leave on Friday after school ;-)
Well done “Bubbble”…………..the place looks amazing!!!!!
Stunning house and beautifully styled … have to agree with comments above though, not sure of the practicality of pale coloured lounges in a rumpus room meant for children!!
Love that window and garden…..and interiors so peaceful and calming….awesome post.
Beautiful colour scheme in Sarah’s house
Hmm….looks really beautiful, very styled, very conservative home mag look. I have visions of that tall tree branch being used very creatively… by the kids. Not convinced sorry. Love some of the colourful soft furnishings though.
Stunning home, so neat and tidy. I wish!!!!
Lovely home, crisp, clean, just how I like mine to look. Does it always look this way? No, of course not. I vac, dust and straighten every day, sometimes multiple times a day (and we both work full time) so it looks just the way I like it when I sit down to relax or I’m expecting company…but hey, that’s me. To those who make comments about not being convinced or that it’s too styled, do you not tidy and clean when you know people are coming over? What if a photographer was coming to shoot your home, would you not do some styling then? The homes we are shown on TDF are of looks to aspire to, not an instruction manual on how clean and styled your house should be. Some of you need to understand the difference.
A gorgeous, peaceful home, filled with love and warmth. So inspiring to see how Sarah has brought her canvas to life through the garden and her exquisite soft furnishings. I am sure there is a basket of wellies at the door and muddy footprints through the house on most weekends!! I feel so grateful to be able to take a peek at this house and many more that are featured on TDF. Beautiful photography too. Merricks seen through a new light. Thank you Lucy & TDF.
totally adoring the style of this holiday home – oh wow, how great it would be to have an entrance hall like that!
Absolutely love the group of Namitijiras so beautifully framed. Beautiful weekender.
Gorgeous house, and love the cushions patterns created by Sarah ! I’ve just discovered your blog Lucy, and it’s a real source of inspiration for interior design lovers and dreamers like me, thanks :) Might come regurlarly now to see your Australian homes !
A beautiful, light filled house, with plenty of character. Love the vaulted ceiling and beams and that hall table would make coming home a real pleasure!
Where is that lovely round rug in the entrance from? It’s simple and beautiful.
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Gorgeous home! May I ask if anyone knows where the round table in the entry is from?