REUSE. RECYCLE. UPCYCLE. ITS BEEN OUR MANTRA FOR A LONG TIME AND NEVER HAS IT BEEN MORE IMPORTANT AS A FOCUS FOR ALL OF US.
It’s at the core of eco-warrior thinking and it is also intricately woven into our design aesthetic. It’s about paying homage to beautiful things from times gone by and creating an authenticity and delicious layering of old and new. It’s about sussing out ways to blend beautiful pieces of contemporary furniture such as a sleek, linen covered sofa with vintage pieces such as an antique French industrial locker now used as wardrobe and storage space in The Chapel. It’s where we also juxtaposed imposing reclaimed timber beams from a Billabong store in QLD with statement bespoke wrought iron ballustrades and exposed brickwork adorned with delicate vintage mirrors reflecting trails of devils ivy creeping along the walls.
It’s a design aesthetic that really started with our first property – The Cottage. We just had to find a way to reuse the external cladding which, when removed, exposed layers and layers of different paint choices applied over many, many decades. It pointed to the history, charm and character of the old fisherman’s cottage which we just loved and they’re now a feature used as ceiling lining boards. We also restored and recycled the beautiful deco mottled glass windows and doors which are so at home beside polished wooden floors, textured artisan rugs, and softly draped linen curtains.
The journey through the fabulously family-friendly Magnolia House starts with entering through vintage doors salvaged from the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. Taliah patched, sanded and restored them, making a stately entrance into a space which echoes her passion for mixing old and new, quirky repurposed pieces, one-off treasures and beautiful examples of works created by artisans using centuries old techniques. And it’s not just the inside of her abodes which have a focus on reuse, recycle, upcycle. The moody and earthy ambience of The Cabin and The Lodge starts with the cladding which is recycled Jarrah, weathered to the perfect soft grey and having the effect of bedding the structures beautifully amongst the towering eucalypts on the block. And they used some of the off-cuts to make some bespoke furniture pieces too. Crafty eh?
And other loves? Vintage mirrors mounted together artfully like in The Chapel and vintage artwork grouped together like you’ll see in each of The Bower Suites, a fringed beach umbrella from the 60s, a thick piece of marine rope tied artfully to make wall art, collections of baskets or hats… Really it’s just about cleverly using things you find beautiful and that delight by virtue of their shape, texture, or history.
Not the disposable age for us! We’re much more about finding new ways to use things that have brought joy in the past to new generations. We bet you’ve got some great ideas too!
