Ever since our managing editor Sally Tabart moved into this home last year, we’ve been so excited to see it evolve!
This 1920s double fronted bungalow in Thornbury was bought by Sally and her partner Jeremy, a primary school teacher, last year. They now live here with their friends, Fushia, who is marketing and partnerships manager at Schwartz Media, and Jack, a carpenter.
How Sally and Jeremy came to own this house is a story unlike most first homeowners, in that it all happened rather quickly! ‘We were both very lucky to have come into some money at a similar time and started to look at houses in a “what if, one day?” kind of way.’ Sally says. ‘I know lots of people love to scroll through houses for sale online but I found the whole thing very stressful and didn’t enjoy it at all!’ Luckily, it was only a few months into the process that they stumbled across their future home.
The back of the house had been renovated just prior to purchasing, resulting in an open-plan kitchen, living and dining space that opens up to a deck and a lovely little garden. ‘The previous owners did a perfect, modest renovation while they were here. I love that it doesn’t look super flashy or new… It has real soul and character,’ says Sally. ‘I would not have done anything differently!’
A few tweaks later, the house now feels like a true reflection of Sally and Jeremy – bright, warm and filled with personality! They’ve updated the carpet, swapped out the heavy drawstring drapes for white linen curtains, and installed a flatpack, built-in wardrobe customised with white glossy handles from Linear Standard. Light fittings in the dining and kitchen areas have also been switched to a pair of mustard Verner Panton Flowerpot pendants, and a 70s-style paper lantern in the living room.
The eclectic vibe of this house can be attributed to Sally and Jeremy’s collection of knick-knacks and art dotted throughout every space. ‘I’m no good at minimalism and really like to have special, personal things everywhere,’ Sally explains. ‘There hasn’t been any rhyme or reason to the way the aesthetic has evolved – it’s just a treasure chest of things that we love and that have meant something to us.’ Sally notes two Heath Wae paintings are amongst her most treasured possessions, having developed a ‘really nice friendship’ with the Byron-based artist since she first wrote about his work on TDF in 2018.
Almost all the furniture here has been sourced over the years from one of Sally and Jeremy’s closest friends and former housemate, Pip Newell, who runs the second-hand furniture selling platform Curated Spaces. One of their most cherished items is the three-tiered Hollywood regency swivel coffee table in the living room, which Pip found on eBay. ‘It was in our old sharehouse when I moved in – I was obsessed with it! She let us keep it when she moved to Queensland. It’s nice to have something that reminds us of that amazing crazy sharehouse we all lived in!’
Visit this home on any given weekend (and sometimes weeknights!) and you’ll likely find the household hosting a dinner party (when allowed!) while playing records from Jeremy’s extensive collection. ‘I hope that our house feels happy, safe and warm,’ says Sally. ‘We love having people over and have tried to make it feel as comforting and cosy as possible – the kind of place you want to drink wine, share meals and have dance parties all night, or hang out playing music, enjoying the light and looking at beautiful things all day. Not a day goes by where we don’t look at each other and say, ‘Can you believe we get to live here?’’
The living room. Secondhand daybed, brown leather couch, pink Murano glass lamp, three-tiered glass coffee table, rattan stool, and Featherston Numero chair all sourced by Pip Newell of Curated Spaces. Painting by Heath Wae, commissioned by Sally for Jeremy’s birthday. Big Monstera from eBay. Paper lantern pendant from Pop & Scott. Paper floor lantern from Ikea. ‘Simon Says’ stool from Dowel Jones painted in Dulux ‘Friends‘ from TDF Open House in 2017. Dari Camel rug from Jardan. Daybed cushions/covers from Ikea. Large ‘Bed Head’ cushions from GlamSwag. Striped fitted sheet (on Daybed) from InBed Store. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
A collection of treasured objects and vessels. From left to right: ‘Dream Job’ poster by Ben Jones. Orb by Elke Kramer. Pink glass used as a vase from Ikea. Tall blue glass vase from an op-shop. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Pink glass carafe used as a vase by Maison Balzac. Flowers by Gina Lasker from Georgie Boy. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Sally and Jeremy in front of Sally’s pride and joy, the flower shelf! This beautiful arrangement is by Gina Lasker from Georgie Boy. ‘Dream Job’ poster by Ben Jones. Lino print drawing by Issy Beech. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Left- The flower shelf with an unbelievable arrangement by Gina Lasker from Georgie Boy! ‘Dream Job’ poster by Ben Jones. A treasured collection of vessels. From left to right: pink carafe used as a vase by Maison Balzac. Corrugated ceramic vases, small and medium, by Ella Reweti. Orb by Elke Kramer. Pink glass used as a vase from Ikea. Tall blue vase from an op shop. Amber small jug from HAY Shop. Orange teardrop vase from an op shop. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Green large jug by HAY Shop. Lino print artwork by Sally and Jeremy’s friend Issy Beech. Right – Sally’s beloved secondhand Hollywood Regency tiered swivel table. Pink carafe by Maison Balzac used as a vase. Dari Camel rug from Jardan. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Looking from the kitchen/dining room into the living room. Cast iron wiggle lamp from eBay. Secondhand gold-rimmed mirror (this used to be old wardrobe doors!) from Curated Spaces. &Tradition Verner Panton mustard VP1 Flower Pot pendant from Finnish Design Store (‘I first saw this light in my dear friend + TDF Art Director Annie Portelli’s house and totally copy-catted!’, says Sally!). Secondhand Temple + Webster dining table from eBay. Sage green ‘Ria’ dining chair by SBW. Natural ‘Halo’ chair by SBW. Ceramic bowl painted with green flowers by Sally and Jeremy’s friend Sally Krutsch. Wobbly vase by Sally and Jeremy’s friend Maddy Murdoch. Wall hanging by BFGF. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Jeremy’s amazing record collection! ‘Supplement To The Italian Dictionary’ poster by Bruno Munari from Metropolis Bookshop. Ikea storage units. Featherston Numero chair sourced by Curated Spaces. Dari Camel rug from Jardan. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Jez on the decks! Squiggly lamp from eBay. Secondhand gold-rimmed mirror. Natural timber ‘Halo’ chair by SBW. Dining table from eBay. Orange Featherston Numero chair from Curated Spaces. Paper floor lantern from Ikea. Painting by Heath Wae. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Vase in ‘Teal’ used as a fruit bowl from Lightly. Mirka Mora coaster from Heide blue tacked to the wall! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The kitchen – where everyone hangs out! Emma Currie x Amy Simpson collaborative stained glass artwork on top shelf – ‘I had absolutely no idea where I was going to put this when I bought it, but I thought it was so special’, Sally reflects. ‘Turns out we had the perfect shelf, albeit in a slightly unexpected spot!’. Lightly fruit bowl. Alice Oehr x Pan After checkered paper bowl. Baina hand towel. &Tradition Verner Panton mustard VP1 Flower Pot pendant from Finnish Design Store. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The kitchen. Emma Currie x Amy Simpson collaborative stained glass artwork. Lightly fruit bowl. Alice Oehr x Pan After checkered paper bowl. Baina hand towel. &Tradition Verner Panton mustard VP1 Flower Pot pendant from Finnish Design Store. HAY Shop pink dish rack and green rubber cutlery holder. Blue vase from an op shop. Blue fruit bowl from eBay. Vases above cupboards from various op shops. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Sally and Jeremy’s bedroom. ‘When we first moved in I could not figure out what to do with this funny molded over fireplace in our bedroom’, Sally says. ‘It seemed like a travesty to get rid of it! We tried all sorts of configurations for the room, and it actually works so well as a little shelf above the bed. I have grown very fond of the doggies watching guard over us!’. Another treasured painting by Heath Wae, which Sally and Jeremy had commissioned as a moving in gift to themselves. Lauren Cassar ‘Tiny Jug And Moon’ work on paper from TDF Collect. Anna Varendorff brass vase. Small painting by Stanislas Piechaczek. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Wave lamp from Neighborhood Studio, a gift from the TDF team for Sally’s birthday this year! I Love Linen doona cover in Marine Blue Stripe and Pinstripe pillowcases. Curtains by Barlow & Hunt. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The bathroom, which Sally says ‘gets the best light in the house!’. Dusen Dusen hand towel from Coming Soon New York. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Painting by Heath Wae, which Sally and Jeremy had commissioned as a moving in gift to themselves. Lauren Cassar ‘Tiny Jug And Moon’ work on paper from TDF Collect. Anna Varendorff brass vase. Small painting by Stanislas Piechaczek. Ceramic flower cup by Ellie King. Wave lamp from Neighborhood Studio. I Love Linen doona cover in Marine Blue Stripe and Pinstripe pillowcases. Hotel Magique framed print. Amanda Dziedzic glass sculpture from TDF Collect, a Christmas gift from Lucy to the TDF team. Travertine bedside table (actually the base of an old coffee table) from Gumtree. I Love Linen doona cover in Marine Blue Stripe and Pinstripe pillowcases. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Florist NYC tiny bag. Claire Johnson work on paper. Ceramic smiley face bowl by Ellie King. Glass sculpture by Amanda Dziedzic. Hotel Magique framed print. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The beautiful 1920s double-fronted bungalow drenched in the morning sun. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
