Cool change
LEAVING SUNNY QUEENSLAND FOR THE CHILLIER CLIMES OF TASMANIA, THIS FAMILY HAVE DISCOVERED A SIMPLER LIFE OF COSY DELIGHTS
While many sea and tree changers migrate in search of a warmer climate, homeowners Di and Shaun bucked the trend in a big way, leaving Queensland and flying south in search of a slower life for them and their three children; Ally, 20, Harry, 13 (pictured), and Hamish, nine. They found their semi-rural idyll in Tasmania, seducing them with its calmer pace and rich heritage. “Tasmania was always where I wanted to be,” says Di, “because of the homes, the climate – though no-one moves here for the weather – and it’s just the friendliest place.”
With extended family across Australia, the couple teetered on the edge of their big move for many years, before finally being prompted to take the leap – a grand, verandah-wrapped, century-old cottage on a rural property in the Derwent Valley. “It was all about the home,” says Di. “I saw it online and it was exactly what I wanted, so we decided to pack our bags!” But things didn’t play out quite as neatly as expected. When they arrived in Hobart and inspected the home in person, it turned out to be a virtual wreck. With three children, including a baby, and a new firm – Shaun had a job, yet Di needed to start her new retail business from scratch – it was a little too much, so an alternative place was found.
But the family’s love story with the original home was to continue. Five years later, it came back on the market, freshly renovated and just as gorgeous as the one they fell in love with. Baby Hamish was all grown up and Di’s homewares and fashion store, Ally + Me, was well-established, so there was nothing to hold the family back from their dream home this time.
The previous owners had done a great job of restoring the home, fixing up the crumbling bits and installing plenty of heating. Yet the new look was very traditional, with lashings of wallpaper and heavy drapes – a far cry from Di’s own fresh and breezy style.
Having a background in interior design and a good network of suppliers and trusted tradesmen, Di, and her husband, Shaun, were prepared to handle a cosmetic renovation. “It was just a matter of coming in, gutting the inside of it and going back to white with everything,” she says. The couple also pulled out the unfinished kitchen, replacing it with muted greys and blond wood to suit the running theme. “I’ve always looked to Scandinavian style, even before it was fashionable,” she says. “I’m also loving that Japanese influence, the cross between the two.”
With its sophisticated palette of whites and greys, the home is now steeped in light, as crisp and as clear as a frosty dawn. This is also due to the mum-of-three’s ‘no curtains’ philosophy, as she refuses to hang any kind of window covering in any room except for the children’s bedrooms. “The light is stunning,” she says. “It’s light and bright all the time, even on the darkest days, and I think the rooms stay warm because of the carpet.”
Visual warmth is added throughout the home by beautiful pieces in Tasmanian timber, which, along with locally made textiles and ceramics, represent the wealth of creative energy throughout the area. “We try to have as many Tasmanian designs as we can,” says Di, who has become a passionate advocate for local artisans, in support of the island that has since become her family’s beloved home.
“AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE LOOK OF timber , THE CARPET MAKES THE HOUSE SO cosy ” ~ DI