Homebodies
Frankie ratford lives in a vibrant fibro shack on magnetic island, far north queensland.
What do you do for a crust? I run a company called The Design Kids: a free graphic design community of 300,000 designers around the globe. I also run Designers’ Bootcamps in exotic places, where we workshop design careers over beers (though now it’s all online – boo!).
Whereabouts do you live? I’ve been a nomad for 12 years, but for the past six months I’ve lived on a magical tropical island called Magnetic Island, 20 minutes from Townsville in Far North Queensland. (I hope I live here forever!)
Why did you move there? Mid-2020 I was doing a big Australian road trip because the international borders were closed and my feet are permanently itchy. I went to Magnetic Island for 12 hours on a whim, fell in love and found a super-cute A-frame for sale that I wanted to run as an Airbnb. I put an offer down, then when I couldn’t get into Western Australia, I cut the trip short and beelined for Maggie, with a plan to renovate for three months then keep travelling. I realised I’d been looking for this island my whole life and decided to stay. The A-frame was done and fully booked up, and a sunshine shack was for sale down the road for an absolute steal, so I packed up my life on the Gold Coast, and now I call Maggie home.
Who else lives in your home? My friend Suzanne lives in a converted shed/studio out the back, and we’re currently putting a cute 1967 caravan and deck at the end of the garden to convince a friend to move to the island! We’ve got a bunch of frogs who visit us every day, and Suzanne’s dog is hopefully moving over, too.
What do you like most about your neighbourhood? This place is magical! 2000 locals (I’ve probably met half of them already), palm tree-lined beaches, huge granite rocks in turquoise water, sunshine 320 days a year. Plus, we’re on the Great Barrier Reef, so diving and snorkelling are amazing. Mangoes off the tree for brekkie; spearfishing your lunch; a cheeky crayfish for dinner. It’s literally paradise.
Tell us about the house itself. It’s a gorgeous orange fibro beach shack under some palm trees. It’s tiny: 50 square metres, one bedroom, light and bright with Cuban-style shutters and an outdoor area. There used to be a palm forest on the front half of the block, and I plan on bringing it back to life! There’s an outdoor bathroom with no walls, and you step down into a tiny kitchen (there was no cooker when I moved here, so I have a camping stove that’s surprisingly good!). A separate garage/studio and a huge, wild garden of tropical plants are at the front, and it's a 10-minute walk to the beach.
Have you renovated the space? If so, what did you change, and what did you keep the same? I've only been here three weeks so far! I got the keys on a Monday night, and on Tuesday we painted the entire interior white: ceilings, light fixtures, yellowing aircon units and all! At 5am on Wednesday all my things arrived from the GC, so it was pretty manic. Originally, I was going to repaint the orange a dusty pink, but it’s really grown on me. Add in fairy lights and plants, and she’s good to go!
How would you describe your decorating style? Beachy, low-key and minimalist.
How have you used colour throughout the house? The outside is intense orange, so I made the inside a white canvas. I try not to fall into the 'white with cactus’ vibe, though – I love my daggy things, they bring me so much joy. I don't think a house should be a showroom – it should be a place that makes you happy; that feels cosy.
What’s the first thing you see when you arrive? The orange outdoor ‘hang’ area! There are benches I built myself, giant fairy lights, lots of plants and hanging candles, and my surfboard. There's not much surf up here, but when there are big storms you can surf on a few of the beaches.
Have there been any challenges while setting up the space?
Every day we have around four green frogs in the toilet at any one time. I love them, but talk about stage fright! Also, it's super-hot, and right now, super-wet! The first week of rainy season everything went mouldy, including my lovely cane furniture sets. I wasn’t prepared and will definitely do better next year once I've had a whole year to learn...
Which room gets used the most? Definitely the outdoor space! I love sitting outside with all the animal noises – the jungle feels alive.
And the least? The back patio – I want to work on that next. I found a beautiful claw-footed bath at an old horse ranch next door for $50, so I want to set up a cute little space out the back. The garden is so big compared to the house, so I want to have little paths leading to the veggie patch, the caravan, the teepee.
Where do you find all your furniture and bits and pieces? Most of my furniture is either from IKEA or the tip shop! I love finding interesting treasures and making them cool again. I found this gorgeous round drinks trolley and my old roomie Maddy painted it pink – it’s the best. I’ve got an epic brown mud cloth throw with giant black geometric shapes all over it that I got in Africa; a daybed I found at hard rubbish in Lennox Head; some cane furniture from the 1970s motel up the road; ceramics from
Papua New Guinea; and a smiley-face cup I found in an op shop in the USA. Plus, there’s my treasured BFGF throw on the wall. I promised I’d treat myself to one of her pieces when I got a house, so I’m stoked to have one now.
Can you share a favourite memory that’s taken place in the
house? Well, I only got the house three weeks ago, so there are lots of fun memories to come! I’m just thrilled about stringing up some fairy lights and creating a space for magic: red wine, friends, stupid stories, music, frogs, homemade tattoos. That’s what's important for me – creating a place for magic to happen.
Having moved around a fair bit, are there any lessons you’ve
learnt about setting up a space? I think being a minimalist is the best – you have very little stuff, so it’s easy to create instant ‘homes’ everywhere. If I was staying somewhere more than a month, I’d buy some new white sheets, give the space a good clean, add some fairy lights (I actually carry mini ones around at all times!) and some books. Each time I’ve moved house within Australia, I’ve taken cushions, rugs, plants, books and art. I’ve got some clothes on my back and basic furniture is easy to get anywhere.
What does home mean to you? I love this quote: “Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling”. For me, home is about surrounding yourself with good-quality, kind, fun, interesting humans. It’s about having somewhere to rest your head for the night. I feel the best when I’m in my van, curled up in a million pillows, rain on the metal roof, knowing my house has four wheels and the next adventure is just ahead. For now, though, I'm enjoying nesting and making this island home.