A place to call home
Ada Nicodemou’s house is as sunny as the Home And Away favourite
It took just moments for Ada Nicodemou to realise her search was over: hugging a steep pocket of land in southern Sydney, the lightbathed abode with airy living spaces spilling through to a sun-dappled garden and pool was everything the popular Home And Away star had envisaged as a home-to-grow-in for herself and her six-year-old son, Johnas. Happily, too, she already knew the neighbourhood almost as well as her home-away-from-home for nearly two decades – TV’s iconic Summer Bay. Ada and Johnas had been living in a smaller house a few doors down and she was familiar with the street in other ways, too. “We definitely didn’t move far,” says the stylish performer. “My mum also lives in the street a little further up.” But it wasn’t just the location – and mum nearby – that drew her in. “I have quite particular tastes, so I thought it might be difficult to find what I was looking for,” explains Ada. “This was literally the first house that I saw, and there was a feeling I got as soon as I stepped inside. I thought ‘This is it!’, so I put in an offer straight away.” Enveloped in greenery and spread out across two luminous levels, the home, which she bought four years ago, ticked all of the boxes on her wish list. “The fact that it has a pool and a lovely outdoor entertaining area was really important to me,” she says. “I wanted Johnas to have somewhere open to play, and I’ve always had a belief that a house should be a place where your child’s friends love coming to. Hopefully, that’s the case here.” Family has always meant everything to Ada. “I think my mum engineered that I would live in the same street as her, because when I was buying my first home she kept showing me houses around the area,” she says, with a laugh. “But we’re Greek, so we’re forever over at each other’s houses and Christmas is always here now. I love entertaining and this house is perfect for it.” Ada, whose television alter-ego Leah Patterson remains just as popular today as when she first endeared herself to viewers some 19 years ago, cherishes her light and inviting home as her personal haven. “I love that the house has so much natural light,” she says. “I’m one of those people who, when I wake up, open the windows and doors for the fresh air and light to come in. I feel happy when I’m here – it’s got such a lovely energy.” And she has relished the opportunity to style her home with pieces that she loves. “I’ve really enjoyed decorating the home,” says Ada. “If I could have half a day to window shop, I’d be very happy to spend the time looking at homewares and furniture. I’m very house-proud, but I never want anyone to walk in and feel uncomfortable. It has to be a relaxed house.” Which it certainly is. Because, even though it’s only a few years old, the home reflects the warmth and personality of its owner, and tells a story that is ever unfolding. “This is a home for Johnas to grow up in,” says Ada, “and one that will have so many memories for us both.”