Name: Collette Leeuwangh, husband, son, Labrador puppy Bear, and three goldfish
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Type of home: House
Size: 1500 square feet
Years lived in: 3 years, owned
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Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: We live in a home situated inside a cul-de-sac and close to South Fremantle.
The house is a 1985 build, and we are slowly renovating and putting our personal stamp on it with color, plants, rugs, art, and vintage and thrift pieces.
My husband is a deputy principal at a primary school but is very creative and handy with tools, which has been fortunate as we have been able to carry out many of my visions for the home!
Our 17-year-old son lives with us, but our older two moved out a few years ago. One is married with two children and the other is still enjoying a child-free life. Both kids visit frequently so it’s lovely having the house filled up with adult children and grandchildren.
I am a home stylist for both real estate and private homes. I adore trying out ideas in our home as I can vouch for them when clients are not sure about color choices or how to create an eclectic style that reflects them in their homes.
We are also the proud owners of a labrador puppy named Bear. So the house won’t be the same for a while as we train him to not chew and pee in the house!
We are curated maximal style with an eclectic, bohemian, vintage/thrift signature.
We have a lot of color on the walls, thrift finds, artwork, travel moments, plants (lots of plants, 100 potted plants at last count), vintage, and collections throughout the home.
We have a yellow front door, internal doors have been painted yellow, and a yellow entry wall. The dining is dusty pink, the hall is a bay leaf green, and the kitchen is French green. Our laundry is dusty pink with grey terrazzo tiles.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Colorful, eclectic, thrifted, quirky, plants
What is your favorite room and why? Our living is my favorite as it is cozy with relaxing views of the garden.
It has a comfortable sofa that can be separated or kept together, a huge coffee table for all the feet and some decor, artwork on the walls, and many of my favorite plants.
I love to sit here to read, talk, or snuggle up and watch movies.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? Pottery found in a thrift store from a country road vacation. Oh, and some brassware for my brass collection and some artwork of Australian landscapes by Aboriginal artist, Albert Namatjira.
Any advice for creating a home you love? Ignore the rules. Go with your gut. Plants are Nature’s Furniture. Color is transformational, paint the walls (ceiling too, the same color), paint an old piece of furniture, never underestimate the power of color and paint!
Have fun in your own home, and take a risk. Mistakes are great learning opportunities and can be rectified. Ignore other people’s opinions, only listen to the ones of those who live with you. Make it a deeply personal reflection of you and your loved ones. Remember your style and tastes change as you change, and so will your home, so never think a home is “finished;” it just evolves.
