Newlyweds Ben and Lydia show us how to do small living well at their home on Vanguard Street. With their eclectic style and passion for antiques, the couple have transformed this rental into their very own love nest.
Photos: Tessa Jaine
Where is your home and who lives here?
This house is on Vanguard Street. We have lived here with our birds, cats and flatmate for about six months.
What four words would you use to describe your home?
Vintage, wholesome, homely and sunny.
What inspired this look?
I have always been a little obsessed with vintage furniture. The home is made up of mostly second-hand vintage furnishings. My current pride and joy is the Victorian wash bench, which was given to us by my grandparents in-law as a wedding present. Another ornate piece I love is the little cabinet in the kitchen. It was my mothers and as soon as we can we are going to get it fixed up as it has seen better days.
What’s your favourite spot in the house?
It is a mix of the kitchen, lounge and my art studio. The sun pours into the kitchen and lounge in the morning, and I just love it! There is nothing better than a sunny house.
Where do you shop for homewares?
Most of the newer stuff we have bought is from Harvey Norman, though once Ben and I buy a house I will be looking at Eclectic for a lot of homewares and furnishings.
What’s your decorating style?
I try to make everything as aesthetically pleasing as possible, and I do like everything to have some sort of consistency. Everything needs to kind of match, though I do really enjoy mixing modern with vintage. If it’s done right, it can look stunning.
What’s next on your interiors list?
House plants. More house plants! The next time I see a Monstera... I am grabbing it.
When it comes to homeware, do you save or splurge?
Recently, Ben and I have splurged. Though we put quality over everything. I always say I cannot afford to buy cheap. This is more of a recent mindset though. Now that we are financially sound, we can put money into the things we hold important to create a home we love.
Best seat in the house?
The couch. Oh my goodness, that couch is heavenly. That would have to be the most expensive individual item we have bought so far.
Do you have any tips on how to keep your living area orderly?
Be consistent, and don’t let things get too far out of control. But if they do, then set a day aside to just work on the house. I often keep things organised, but sometimes you just can’t keep it organised every second, so I set aside some time and get it all out of the way. I try to think how much nicer it will be when it is clean and tidy, and that always motivates me.
What do you love about the neighbourhood where you live?
Honestly, it’s loud here on Vanguard. What I would give for some peace and quiet! But that really is the only issue. The neighbours are lovely. The house was previously owned by a well-loved lady named Betty, and we sometimes get asked how the house is doing by old friends of hers that live up the road. Our neighbour Tony will mow our lawn occasionally, we come home and it’s just, done! If there was no street noise, I would consider buying this house. I truly love it.
What is one thing you would change about your home if you could?
The kitchen is so tiny, we can’t even fit our fridge in it. The fridge is out in the laundry next to the washing machine. A major kitchen renovation would be a must-do.
