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Paddo to Palmy started out as a renovation blog, after 7 years of apartment living we were desperate to buy our own home, however we couldn’t find that illustrious ‘dream home’ so we decided to split our budget and buy a terrace in Paddington and a beach house in Palm Beach. I thought the terrace in Paddington was perfectly fine and didn’t need much work but my husband had other ideas and engaged an architect straight away.
We thought why not move up to Palm Beach – save some money on rent and have a sea change whilst we were at it. As I was new to the renovation scene in Sydney I had no idea where to source anything interior related and thought other people might also be in the same boat so the blog Paddo to Palmy was born which pretty much documented the renovation…
“I am a bit of a mixed bag in terms of style – a little traditional, a little beachy and a little oriental. I love things with a story behind it so am drawn to vintage and antiques pieces where the quality of craftsmanship is high. I also like things that are a bit different and unique.”
For Paddo I was going for a Moroccan minimalism style so when it came time to source soft furnishings I felt a trip to Morocco was in order as I had always dreamt of visiting and at the time there weren’t many suppliers in Sydney selling Moroccan rugs and interiors. So I ended up buying a few more rugs and blankets than intended and decided to turn the blog into a online shop..that was the start of my e commerce business which now incorporates homewares, fashion, sandals and bags which are all handmade and artisanal yet of a very high quality.
Certain colours just make me happy for example yellow and blue, I try to stick to a complimentary colour palette of say 4 colours – for example white, tan, blue and yellow, I always start with a white base which includes light coloured floors (lime washed or painted white), walls and joinery as it allows me to go a bit nuts on the colour injection via art and soft furnishings.
“For the home Architectural Digest Spain is my bible, something about their simplicity of design yet use of colour always strikes a cord with me, I am drawn to the classic European elements of design whether it be the white cement used in Greece or the blue and white hand painted tiles of Italy and the French doors of Paris.”
We started collecting when we were living in Asia, we would often travel to Hoi An to visit the galleries there and picked up a few pieces, I have been obsessed with Ken Done from the age of 6 so once we were able to afford one of his pieces I gifted my husband one;) George Raftopoulos is our all time favourite artist we actually bumped into him and became friends with him and wife at a park in Paddington. There are some really talented artists up on the Northern Beaches like Henry Curchod who has just moved to LA. Then I often stalk the auction houses like Lawsons for my favourites like Ray Crooke.
Like the art its also a bit of a mixed bag. I like to mix the old in with the new so Auction Houses like Lawsons are a treasure trove – if you have the time to trawl through the junk there are some amazing steals on offer, with a bit of reupholstery and some restoration the pieces transform and the quality is so much higher than buying something out of factory in Asia and you know you have a unique piece that will last a lifetime. I am also partial to eBay and second hand shops AND streetside finds at council throw outs... For the modern pieces I love Jardan for their wicker cabinets and Angelucci’s in Melbourne for their retro pieces. If I can’t find what I need in store I will get it custom made – our upholsterer Justin Puddick is amazing for making up ottomans and lounge chairs.
Gosh I follow way too many people... Architectural Digest always delivers in terms of interiors, Walter G feed my textile addiction, for Fashion I love A Pair and a Spare and Moda Operandi.
LOL, I couldn’t stop giggling looking at us both wearing the same bright apricot hued dress! Lana definitely wore it best ;) I am just honoured whenever I see anyone wearing my label it really does make all of the hard work worthwhile.