The warm and inviting Neika, Tasmania home of artist Mandy Renard, her husband Matt Holden and their sons Hamish and Jes is a fantastic example of sustainable living. Constructed from scratch, some of the house timber was harvested from the property while the rest was salvaged from a nearby cottage demolition. Working parties of friends and neighbours helped the couple build their house, and the result is not only low cost and eco-friendly, but with inspired design touches, too. The island bench in the kitchen is an old sideboard that Mandy’s grandfather restored, topped with a glass door from a Hobart bank. The earthen living room floor is sealed with a linseed oil and beeswax mix, while the sofa was a second hand store find, re-upholstered by a friend. And the fire hose window sign in Jes’s bedroom was recycled from a primary school in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley. Love how imagination and friendships resulted in such a welcoming family home. More here on homelife.
(photography by sharyn cairns for the january 2012 issue of country style)