Bec & Kit’s Musical and Creative Retro-Style Home in Australia

published Dec 14, 2015

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About this tour

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Home Type

House

Location

Preston, Melbourne, Australia

Style

Eclectic

Vintage

Bedrooms

Square feet

1313

Sq ft

1313

Name: Bec Smith and Kit Warhurst, their 3 1/2-year-old Alfie, and Peggy the cat
Location: Preston — Melbourne, Australia
Size: 122 square meters (1,313 square feet)
Years lived in: 5 years; Owned

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Bec and Kit moved slightly north of Melbourne five years ago after many years of renting in the inner-city. Their new location has afforded them a great family home filled with the treasures they’ve collected over their years together. Bec is a UX designer, graphic designer, and artist, and Kit is a musician and composer (he’s recently stepped out from behind the drum kit and launched himself as a solo artist), so it’s no surprise that their home is filled with bright, graphic artwork and musical instruments.

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

With a shared love of retro ’60s and ’70s modernist design, Bec and Kit have found many interesting pieces together—in particular artwork, often found in vintage stores. They have two graphic woolen tapestries in their living room that were found years apart at two different stores, and they have yet to find out the creator. Other feature pieces include the large-scale paintings in the living room and main bedroom; they are treasured artworks painted by Kit’s dad, Eddie Warhurst. Both Bec and Kit grew up in rural Victoria, and these paintings—along with the Mildura cushion from Cottage Industry on the bed—truly reflect their history. The couple also often work from home and have a shared studio workspace converted from a shed in their yard.

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: Easy minimal ramshackle vintage. An unconscious collection of ’60s and ’70s furniture, found modernist and handmade objects, old and new art, with some street finds and DIY items thrown in. We have magpie eyes for design-relevant pieces, but we try not to overdo it.

Inspiration: Our knowledgeable friends are a never-ending source where we eagerly learn about architects, designers, makers, products, and handmade items. Also traveling of course—where others live and how they choose to live.

Favorite Element: Our artworks and objects that have a significance of place, time, and people.

Biggest Challenge: We both work from home and since the house is actually quite small, it needs to operate well. Things like storage and functionality are becoming higher priorities to us now. We are considering overhead cupboards for the kitchen, bathroom (the bathroom is a trouble spot), and laundry. And finally, where in the world are we going to put Nanna’s piano!

What Friends Say: We have no idea what friends say!

Biggest Embarrassment: The fridge situation is a bit weird. When we bought the house, the fridge was in the middle of the dining room, so we cut down an outer kitchen bench [counter] and moved the fridge into that place, on a plinth, that has the ducted heating beneath it. It’s unusual to put a fridge on a pedestal, but there you have it.

Proudest DIY: We have two: 1. The studio was a bare studded bicycle shed that was transformed by an architect and builder friend by using plywood walls, skylights, and polished floors (floors by another friend). It’s a small but well-implemented space which is soothing to work in. 2. When Kit and Alfie were away for a couple of days, I painted the kitchen tiles. Then our friends at Pop & Scott Workshop cut down and replaced the two-tiered laminated chipboard benchtops [countertops] with a single-leveled Victorian ash wooden benchtop [countertop]. We retained the cabinets as they were but replaced the laminated doors with made-to-measure plywood. It looks awesome, and the difference we feel when using the space is vast.

Biggest Indulgence: The Astra Walker kitchen tap was arranged for us by Eve Stambolis from The Good Room interiors, and is a stand-out winner.

Best Advice: We admire the expertise of people who know what they’re doing with their craft, and their time is worth every cent. Also, go your own way on decoration. I’m very aware of what’s on offer in the way of interior design, and I’ve certainly introduced brand new things into our mix of stuff for sure. But in the end, it’s the story imbued into the belongings that matter to me the most.

Dream Sources: Pop & Scott Workshop in Northcote really does have the most inspirational showroom of furniture and locally made home wares. In addition, as we aren’t ones to discriminate, we will stop at any and every op shop, secondhand store, and transfer station (the tip!). The Boroughs in East Brunswick is a reliable place for more beautiful locally-made things and is my go-to shop for presents.

Resources

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

PAINT & COLORS

Front door (above): Dulux Space Odyssey
Interior walls: Dulux Natural White
Inside doors: Dulux Alabaster

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

FRONT PORCH

Large pot: The Rosso from Pop & Scott in Northcote
Concrete trough pot: MAXIMALISM (a secondhand store in Thornbury)
Vintage pink pot plant stand: Coburg Treasure Market
Wirely pot stand: The Boroughs in East Brunswick

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott)

LIVING ROOM

’60s bookshelf: vintage
Polaroid and Super 8 cameras: collected over time from thrift stores and Tyabb Packing House Antiques
Vintage Space Invaders game consoles: thrifted
Ceramic trees: Robyn Phelan
Baskets: Preston Market in Preston
Orange plastic retro lamp: thrifted
Long red Murano glass vase: family heirloom
West German vase: thrifted
Tessa armchair: thrifted
Bongos: Music Swop Shop in Carlton
Black stool: IKEA
Coronet guitar amp: Music Swop Shop in Carlton
Vintage drinks trolley: family heirloom
Vintage turquoise lamp: thrifted
Curtains: custom-made by Flashback in Westgarth
Lounge suite: used for The B Team TV show set, then found a home with us!
Ottoman: family heirloom
Fold-out stool: Sit Stay Go
Vintage teak desk: thrifted
Vintage teak coffee table: Camberwell Market
Large rug: Armadillo&Co
Ceramic bull: Gus McLaren
Bauhaus postcards: Tate Modern exhibition
Tapestry artworks by unknown artist: thrift stores
Large owl artwork: Eddie Warhurst
Medium landscape artwork: Eddie Warhurst
Small artwork: 13 by Chris Evans
Small abstract artworks: Bec Smith