Poppy Lissiman, fashion designer of her namesake label, and Harrison Kennedy, strategy and growth lead at Uber Eats, lived in tiny rental apartments for years before making the move from Sydney to Fremantle in late 2020.
The house-hunting process was incredibly competitive, but everything fell into place upon discovering the perfect home. ‘When the first open house happened, we put an offer in on the spot, and couldn’t believe our luck when the owner accepted,’ says Poppy.
Originally built in 1990, this house exudes a much older feel than its age suggests, appearing almost like a rustic Tuscan villa. Poppy and Harrison appreciated its thoughtful construction, incorporating recycled materials, including Oregon beams from the old Fremantle Woolstores, bricks from a former hospital, and stained glass windows salvaged from various properties.
The existing material palette was ‘pretty spot on’ – the house just needed a few important tweaks!
Poppy and Harrison’s vision was to turn the poky kitchen, laundry and bathroom into one big entertaining space that opened to the garden. To achieve this, they were fortunate enough to have Harrison’s mum, architect Louise St John Kennedy, at their disposal!
‘Renovations are something she doesn’t normally do, but she kindly made an exception,’ says Poppy. ‘Louise and I spent many, many late nights revising every inch together, which was such a special bonding experience and something I’ll always treasure.’
The kitchen, laundry and bathroom were eventually gutted (with the timber repurposed), while a north-facing dining room wall was replaced with glass bi-fold doors opening to the yard.
A second bathroom upstairs was also completely redone featuring peach-coloured tadelakt; whilst elsewhere, walls throughout were painted Dulux Antique White U.S.A; and Jarrah floorboards were exposed and polished.
Poppy and Harrison also spent plenty of time tending to the garden that had barely been touched in 20 years. ‘The plan is to get the house covered in creepers to look like a green box within the next few years.’ says Poppy.
Given the property is quite a departure from their previous places, Harrison and Poppy sold most of their existing furniture and bought new pieces to suit this space. ‘We were used to never entertaining more than four people at a time, including ourselves, in our previous places in Sydney, so I feel that in this space we have been able to embrace the warmth of entertaining and having the room to show off a bit more!’ Poppy says.
The earthy palette of the original home lends itself to the couple’s styling, allowing them to play with mixed materials and contrasting colours. ‘Our art and some of our furniture tends to err on the side of being quite loud, so we were conscious of giving it space to breathe,’ Poppy explains.
The couple’s vibrant art collection feels right at home here, particularly the works by John Prince Siddon, a contemporary artist from Fitzroy Crossing, who Poppy has recently collaborated with (stay tuned!).
Poppy has long aspired to renovate a home, and to create such a special space alongside Harrison’s mum has been an absolute joy. The results speak for themselves!
Custom banquette seat with in-built storage. Wood veneer dining table collected free from Facebook Marketplace. Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs sourced from Retro Furniture Amigo and Facebook Marketplace. Big square artwork by John Prince Siddon from Mangkaja Arts in Fitzroy Crossing. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Harrison, Poppy and Skuttle the dog! Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Artwork from left to right:Red nude by Melissa Kitty Jarram. Larger nude by Elle Campbell. Elton John custom commission from Greta Balog. Middle artwork by unknown. Long skinny piece by Taku Rosie Tarco King from Mangkaja Arts. Black ink portrait by Poppy Lissiman. Wall colour – Dulux Antique White U.S.A. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Sample red and yellow vase made by Poppy Lissiman. Custom banquette seat with in-built storage that seats 16! Wood veneer dining table collected free from Facebook Marketplace. Marcel Breuer Cesca chairs sourced from Retro Furniture Amigo and Facebook Marketplace. Wall sconce from wall sconce from The Montauk Lighting Co. Artwork on rear wall: Beach scene by Poppy Lissiman. Picasso print. Artwork on right wall from farthest to nearest: Red nude by Melissa Kitty Jarram. Larger nude by Elle Campbell. Elton John custom commission from Greta Balog. Middle artwork by unknown. Long skinny piece by Taku Rosie Tarco King from Mangkaja Arts. Black ink portrait by Poppy Lissiman. Large artwork by John Prince Siddon from Mangkaja Arts. Wall colour – Dulux Antique White U.S.A. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Alessi kettle. Murano glasses from Venice. Banana leaf ceramic bowl from Bordallo Pinheiro from Matches Fashion. Terrazzo used throughout the kitchen, laundry and upstairs bathroom is Palladio Moro by Santa Margherita and imported from Italy by Adelaide Marble Specialists. (‘I got the last few slabs in Australia and it was a mission getting it over to WA!’ says Poppy.) Laminex cabinetry in Impressions Black 460. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Sample red and yellow vase made by Poppy Lissiman. Wall sconce from wall sconce from The Montauk Lighting Co. Artwork on rear wall: Beach scene by Poppy Lissiman. Picasso print. Red nude by Melissa Kitty Jarram. Larger nude by Elle Campbell. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Painting bought at an auction in Sydney and reframed. Top Murano vase from local op shop. Bottom vase by Memor. Dulux Antique White U.S.A. on left wall, hand plastered terracotta coloured wall on right. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Poppy and Harrison’s vision was to turn the poky kitchen, laundry and bathroom into one big entertaining space. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Custom-made forward facing bookshelf using salvaged timber from the original kitchen. Marble plinth and travertine vase both from En Gold. Sofa from MCM House. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
‘This painting is very dear to me. It was one of several by the late Murray Gill which adorned the back wall of the famous The Blue Duck cafe in Cottesloe in the early 90s. The original owner is a very dear family friend and I got these two panels for my 25th birthday. They’re Murray’s homage to Gauguin’s Tahitian period,’ says Poppy. Credenza from an antique store in Sydney. Bowl and vase by Kate Rohde from Pieces of Eight. West Elm chairs upholstered in Kelly Wearstler fabric. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
‘One of my favourite pieces and the first piece of furniture I designed is the terrazzo coffee table made in collaboration with Concreto,’ says Poppy. Checkerboard plinth from Empire Homewares and hand painted by Poppy. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Bookshelf and cabinet made using timber from the original kitchen. Striped skinny vase from an op-shop. Terracotta mirror collected from Facebook Marketplace. Plinth from Empire Homewares and painted by Poppy. Sofa from MCM House. Artwork above the fireplace by John Prince Siddon from Mangkaja Arts. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
‘The living room we fondly refer to as the womb room because of the warmth and fleshly tones,’ says Poppy. Linen curtains from House of Stuart. Peach linen couch from MCM House. Butter yellow armchairs bought off Facebook Marketplace. Crochet throw by PlytoMine. Custom-made burl plinth. Vintage woven lamp. Artwork above the fireplace by John Prince Siddon from Mangkaja Arts. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Artwork above the fireplace is another piece by John Prince Siddon from Mangkaja Arts. ‘There is also a Coolamon by him on the third shelf of the bookshelf as well. This was the first piece I bought from Prince, and what started my immediate love affair with his art. I’m so excited to be collaborating with him on a range which will be coming out in 2022,’ says Poppy. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
‘Two of my favourite pieces of art – both incredible oil paintings I got for a steal about 15 years apart from one another. The big one is from a deceased estate auction in Sydney that I recently had a more modern frame fitted onto (previous one was almost too ornate) and the smaller one I got at a flea market when I was a teenager and have had hanging in every bedroom I’ve lived in since,’ says Poppy. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Upstairs bathroom features peachy terracotta walls in Venetian plaster aka tadelakt from Unique Venetian. Palladio Moro terrazzo plinths frame the toilet, shower, and morph into the vanity. Two antique gold wall sconces sourced from Spain on either side of the mirror. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
Mirror custom made using tiles from Original Ceramics. Tapware throughout home is by ABI Interiors. Towel in reflection by Emma Mulholland on Holiday. Photo– Jack Lovel. Stylist – Amy Collins-Walker
