I can’t quite explain why, but from the age of about 20 I was obsessed with the idea of buying a place of my own. I was probably the world’s most boring and sensible uni student, working every weekend and public holiday with this goal firmly in mind. I actually lived with my Mum until I was 27 (!!) because I was so intent on saving my pennies.
In 2007, after many months of house hunting, and several unsuccessful attempts, all the stars aligned, and we bought this sweet little cottage at auction. The house had previously belonged to a little old lady, who had moved into a nursing home. It was in pretty good condition, but the interior was quite, ah… beige. Beige walls, beige carpet, beige tiles, and a very 70’s kitchen. Oh, and the toilet was outside – at the bottom of the garden!
Gordy threw himself into the challenge, and whilst I quietly freaked out, he just got on with the task at hand! He started with the floors, ripping up the carpet up in one weekend. With the help of a bunch of lovely friends, the walls were painted, the floors were stained dark and polished, and that was all we could afford to do at first. Over the next few years we tackled the rest.
About 12 months in we ripped out the bathroom and renovated it, and finally had our toilet put inside – joy! At the 3 year mark Gordon built us a brand new kitchen, and knocked out the dividing wall to open the kitchen up to the living area. And about 18 months ago my dream project was finally completed – a studio in the back garden, giving TDF a proper home, and allowing me to work with staff and collaborators much more efficiently. I love working from home, it really works for me… but I must say, it is also really good to have that teeny tiny bit of separation between ‘work’ and ‘home’ (about 3 metres to be precise!).
You’ll probably spot lots of familiar things here – lots of favourite local designers and artists are well represented! Of course I love all the furniture made by my talented fella – Gordon made our bed, entertainment unit, bedroom chest of drawers and all the in built shelving and cabinetry. I am seriously attached to our ‘Nook’ couch from Jardan – the first piece of proper furniture we invested in, this sleek but super comfy couch has made such a difference to our living space. Last year we splurged at a Space Furniture sale and bought the Diesis marble coffee table – a piece that had been on Gordy’s wishlist forever. I’m also quite attached to our fledgling art collection – that stunning Emily Ferretti painting above the dining table is the most recent and current favourite! Other treasured pieces have pretty much all been discovered through TDF research – beautiful pieces by Nicholas Jones, Kirra Jamison, David Band and Kate Tucker. The one which holds most nostalgic value is the artwork Gordy commissioned from our dear friend Lucas Grogan, which reads ‘Let’s Get Married’!
Sooo there you have it. I hope not too underwhelming! I really wanted to take an opportunity to finally document our place today, because sadly we won’t be here too much longer. After 7 years, Gordy and I have finally decided it’s time to move on to the next project! So, we’ll be saying goodbye to our much loved first home in just a few months. Onto the next challenge!
