A Thrifter’s Australian Home Has Fabulous Finds and Hand-Painted Details

published Mar 29, 2023

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Home Type

House

Location

Perth, Perth, Australia

Style

Bohemian

Organic Modern

Bedrooms

N/A

Square feet

915

Sq ft

915

dining room with brown and off white tiled floor, minimal furnishings, Saluki dog — Credit: Georgina McWhirter
The dining area makes a feature of a tambour-style screen and Pierre Jeanneret chairs. The mirror is from Kmart Australia, the table is IKEA, and the old linoleum floor I hand painted in glossy checkers in Dulux's "Clay Court" and Glidden's "Honey Beige." My mum's dog, Bibi the Saluki, makes a special appearance!

Name: Georgina McWhirter and a dog
Location: Perth, Australia
Type of Home: House
Size: 915 square feet
Years lived in: 2 years, owned

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

Thrifted paintings and portraits painted by my mother, with a coffee table found on the side of the road and stripped and refinished.

My mom’s personality and mine are all over this house. She paints amazing abstracted portraits that are full of personality and incredible color use. I made gallery walls with her paintings and thrifted finds she had accumulated over the years. The rattan is boho and peachy, very my mom and appropriate to the beachside suburb. The colors are earthy and warm: terracotta, olive green, cream, and burgundy, with pops of dusty pale blue.

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

A view from the living area looking into the dining area and out to the patio. The rattan daybed sofa is from Kmart Australia and the armoire is vintage 1930s burlwood from Northern Ireland from a yard sale.

We are both huge thrifts and many finds are side-of-the-road finds from inorganic rubbish collection days, op shop finds (that’s thrift store in Australian and New Zealand lingo!) alongside quite a bit of Kmart Australia (like the rattan daybed, round mirror in the dining area, a gorgeous fluted glass vase in the living room, and more) — this is the best big box store with modern Scandi finds that are so on trend and super affordable: It’s totally different from Kmart in the U.S. I wish it would come to America, I just know it would be a huge hit!

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

I handprinted my mother's bedroom door with an argyle pattern in the same house paints used in the kitchen floor.

Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Modern-organic with an artsy twist.

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

I upcycled thrifted lamps with found objects at home: pantyhose, wooden beads, plaster, rope, and faux pearls. They are now dotted around the house!

What is your favorite room and why? The dining area: I love the sculptural quality of the wavy screen, the pop of green of the mobile on the black dining table, the Pierre Jeannette chairs (a splurge!), and how well the painted check floor turned out. The gloss paint has turned out to be really hardy, super easy to touch up if needed, and way easier to clean than the grubby old Lino underneath! I just love it.

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

In the north courtyard, a striped umbrella from Business & Pleasure co. and striped seat pad updated a white-painted iron patio set found thrown out on the side of the road.

What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? This wavy bamboo divider, green dining table, rattan sofa, and striped outdoor umbrella.

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

The living/dining area's gallery wall features paintings by mom and thrifted pieces.

Any advice for creating a home you love? Mix and match things you absolutely love. The fact you love it will make it cohesive, I promise! A mix and match of eras and styles will keep a space from looking out of date in a few years as it can’t be pigeonholed to one specific moment in time. Make a few colors a repeating through-line and it will all gel. Also hit me up on @theeyespies! I love to do free design mood boards for people.

Credit: Georgina McWhirter

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