A lot has changed in the 12 years since. El’s two sons, Ben and Max, who were kids when they bought the place, are now 21 and 18, respectively. And El’s husband, Sam, passed away a few years ago.

“I haven’t done any structural renovations — all the changes I have made have been using paint, and a majority of these changes after my husband passed away,” El writes. “I didn’t know it at the time, but the process of decorating and bringing color into my home was like therapy. What started off as a small project to take my mind off my grief turned into a passion and a love of painting and color!”

El describes the house before they moved in as a new build with open plan living. “Everything was white. It was a blank canvas.” Today? It’s full of color that El’s added in, bit by bit, starting in the home office. “I decided to paint one wall and then it just escalated and spread to the rest of the house! From there I moved on to the kitchen, living and dining area, then the hallway and my bedroom,” El recounts.

“Now, our home is colorful with a cheerful atmosphere. It’s upbeat, vibrant, and joyful with a little bit of vintage thrown in,” El describes of her home. “After I lost my husband, I fell out of love with the house. Transforming it in to a colorful space has had such a positive effect on my well-being.” 

• Kitchen, living, dining — “Sachet” by Haymes Paints
• Entry — “Sachet” by Haymes and “Florida” by Taubmans 
• Bedroom — “Sachet” (half strength) by Haymes
• Wall in robe — “Pandora” by Taubmans
• Dining table and coffee table — “Barberalla” by British Paints

• Coffee table — Facebook Marketplace
• Plant pole — theurbanjungle.com.au
• Bookcase — DIY
• Rug — Rozenhelim.nl

• All furniture thrifted/Ebay

• Bed — Lottie bed from Early Settler
• Elliott bedside table (repainted) and bedding — Adairs.com.au
• Yellow and pink stripe cushion — Sage and Clare
• Owl lamp — Ebay

Thanks, El!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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