About the Author

I think it’s about time I did another house tour here on The Fabulous Scavenger. So may I present to you my house. Sure, I photograph my things all the time, but I thought I’d show you around and have a bit of a chat about the thrift store finds, the side of the road finds, and the bargains that I use to decorate my place. Are you ready? Lets go.

The first thing you see when you walk in the front door is my mint green cabinet. Once dark brown, I gave it a makeover with some paint and then scratched it up a bit to give it a worn vintage feel. At the moment I have on display some replica vintage apothecary jars, an inexpensive discount store jar filled with scrabble tiles, and a large vermouth bottle that I found on the side of the road. I picked the branches of blossom from my parent’s house. I made the gold framed blackboard with a thrift store frame. One of the things I love about this entrance hall is the beautiful lighting it has in the evening. The wall light makes my bottles gleam, and casts beautiful shadows. This is also about the only safe spot in the house where I can place a lit candle without my daughter yelling “Happy Birthday” and blowing it out.

The bedroom is filled with thrifty finds. The cushions on the bed were sourced from department stores such as Target and IKEA. The orange crochet blanket was a thrift store find, and the red bed side table was a side of the road find that I jazzed up with a coat of spray paint.

My turquoise lamp shade was another thrift store find. I bought the pair for $8.00. They came with gold bases, but at the moment I have them on simple wooden bases from Target.

The bedroom wall is decorated with bargain posters from IKEA and Typo, wrapping paper, and a printer’s tray bought from E-Bay. The dressing table is an IKEA bookcase. My jewellery box sits on top of a thrift store suitcase.

I collect picture frames from thrift stores. Depending on how much character they have, I either leave them as is or customise them with a coat of spray paint. I also like to turn them into little black boards. Here’s a few frames leaning against the wall in the bedroom, waiting for their time to shine!

I love books, and have quite a collection. I keep most of my books in a wooden cabinet out of sight, but my design books live in the bedroom where I can access them easily when I need inspiration.

Did I mention my shameless magazine obsession?

I am always changing around the displays in my house. I can’t help it. I’m forever inspired by the things I see around me in magazines, on television, in shops, anywhere. I carry a note book and pen around in my handbag, and when I see something I like I take notes and draw pictures so I don’t forget the details. I don’t display everything I own all at once. I store items and rotate them to keep things interesting. I also like going out for walks, and I rarely come home empty handed. I pick up interesting branches, a nice flower or two, stones, anything that catches my eye really. I then find a way to work them into my decor.

Let’s head into the kitchen now. On the kitchen door I display tiny postcards in a neat grid. They add a nice pop of colour.

The kitchen has lots of thrifty finds. The wooden platter I use as a fruit bowl is the top of a wine barrel I found on the street. The Union Jack tea towel was a church thrift store find.

Our favourite cookbooks are kept in this $2.00 thrift store crate that I painted red. I must say most of the cook books belong to my husband as he does almost all of the cooking.

The kitchen window sill is the dumping ground for bottles, jars, vases and other bits and pieces. There’s usually flowers in some and fresh herbs from the garden in others.

In my perfect fantasy world I have a mint green, vintage style Smeg refrigerator. There wouldn’t be a magnet in sight. In real life, my fridge is covered in photos, notes, bills, a portrait of the Queen (no, I can’t explain that one!) and other assorted stuff. Every now and then it reaches critical mass and I clean everything off, only to have it creep back within hours.

Then there’s the lounge room. The back wall is covered in art. It started with one, then gradually crept outwards and now the whole wall is covered. I constantly tweak it, changing artwork, changing frames, changing the colour scheme. Come to think of it, I’m constantly changing the entire house.

The big square canvas I covered with fabric hides the ugly air conditioner behind it.

The cushions are cheapies from IKEA and other department stores. I always wait until homewares are on special before I buy them. Cushions are that much more comfortable when they are 20% off! When I bought the leather lounges I assumed they would stand up to the abuse that only children can dish out, and look better with age. I was horribly wrong. Two of the lounges are ok, but one has torn beyond repair and now I throw a red blanket over it to hide the carnage.

To bring a hit of colour into the lounge room, I display mandarins on a metal Indian tray. Mind you, they always end up half eaten then rolled under the lounge when my two year old gets to them. But when she’s sleeping they look fabulous.

And finally I’ll end my tour with the spot that I write The Fabulous Scavenger. The thrift store desk was spray painted red of course, and makes a lovely spot to sit and work.
I’ve left out a few rooms. My laundry and bathroom are just way too messy for a photo shoot at the moment, and the kids rooms are a whole other blog post!
I hope you’ve enjoyed the grand tour, I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who reads my blog, everyone who follows me, the people who leave positive comments, and of course the truly wonderful people who have nominated my blog for awards. I love writing The Fabulous Scavenger and I am constantly surprised by how well received it has been. I can’t thank you enough my friends!