Adrian Thia and Craig Mutton moved to Daylesford two and a half years ago (with Adrian’s Mum!), seeking a slightly more balanced way of life, after having previously lived for twelve years in Collingwood, Melbourne. Whilst Craig, a portfolio manager, now commutes to Melbourne most days, Adrian has seized the opportunity to create his own yoga studio right here at home. With its own separate entrance, Lè Yoga has fast gathered a loyal following of local yoga enthusiasts, and regularly plays host to weekend yoga retreats.
After taking possession of their property, Adrian and Craig were keen to give the home a contemporary update. The pair designed the interior spaces themselves – committing to a tight six month window to complete their renovations. ‘We set a date for a housewarming party before Christmas 2012’ says Adrian. Nothing like a self imposed deadline to get things moving!
‘We self managed all the renovations when we moved in’ says Adrian. ‘Having lived in a converted warehouse apartment in Collingwood for 12 years, we kind of worked out what design works best for our lifestyle’. Three small bedrooms were converted into a generous master bedroom, whilst two bedrooms to the rear of the home were converted into Adrian’s purpose built yoga studio. The bathrooms and kitchen were fully renovated too.
What is so refreshing about Adrian and Craig’s approach here is the confident decorating decisions they’ve made. They know what they like, and they do things their own way! One of the most distinctive features of this home is the incredible use of bold colour throughout, especially those unexpected deep hues in the living and dining spaces – so sexy! ‘We painted the entire house from off white/beige/lilac to the bolder colours that we prefer’ says Adrian.
The pair are also passionate fans of contemporary design and have amassed an incredible collection of European designer furniture over the past fifteen years. To be honest, their home could probably double as a Space Furniture Daylesford pop-up showroom! ‘Our bed ‘Alcova’ designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia/Maxalto is probably our most treasured piece of furniture’ says Adrian. ‘I often used to joke about how tacky four post beds look, ’til we saw this one. It is so well built. It makes going on holiday a little problematic these days… because we simply love our bed and bedroom!’.
Adrian and Craig are also very fond of Australian contemporary art, and particularly the work of South Australian artist James Cochran (they have three of his paintings). ‘James Cochran is represented by Lindberg Galleries, we spotted his works back in 2007 but weren’t in the position to purchase until 2010′ explains Adrian. ‘We love the mix of classic and street style in his work, created using a combination of aerosol spray/drips in an impressionist style’.
It’s amazing how quickly these two have settled into country life, after many years living in Melbourne. After building Adrian’s yoga studio here, the pair found themselves quickly surrounded by a great group of likeminded locals, and regular visitors from Melbourne. ‘The community in Daylesford is so welcoming, sociable and open minded’ says Adrian. ‘We’ve made more friends in the 2.5 years here than in the 12 years in Collingwood’.
Huge thanks to Adrian and Craig for sharing their incredible home! If you love this space, and you’re into YOGA, definitely check out Adrian’s regular yoga retreats – casual, friendly weekend retreats hosted on the property, with amazing dinners cooked by Adrian’s clever Mum, and served at that 4m long table in Adrian and Craig’s beautiful dining room!
