Photography: Chris Warnes | Styling: John Mangila
On first impression, Leanne and her husband Trent are polar opposites. She’s outgoing, spontaneous, a chatterbox. He’s reserved and a little more risk-adverse. But, like the monochrome theme that runs throughout their vintage style Sydney home, these two are a perfect match. “A French woman we know says that Trent and I are like peas and carrots: different but they work well together,” says Leanne, who, with Trent, owns Quintessential Duckeggblue, a found antiques and decorative objects store (and a HB favourite) in Sydney’s Balmain, and its sibling fashion boutique, Duckeggblue.
That complementary style works at home, too. The couple’s compact sandstone workman’s cottage in Sydney’s inner west showcases some of the grand pieces that Leanne gathers on her biannual treasure hunts through English, French and Belgian markets, farms, homes and factories. Thanks to her consummate curating, the large objects work seamlessly in the little space. “I’m sure some people think, ‘One bedroom – oh no!’ ” she says with a laugh. “But it’s just Trent and me, and what percentage of their houses do most people live in? A third, then they never use the rest.” This attitude extends to their decor and possessions. “I tend towards less is more,” she says. “There are pieces that furnish a home, and then there are those that define it. We collect and curate pieces that do the latter.”
Who lives here?
Leanne and her husband Trent, owners of antique and industrial furniture store Quintessential Duckeggblue, and clothing boutique Duckeggblue in Sydney’s Balmain.
What do you love about your home? Trent: “The aesthetic. The patinas, and the way it’s come together so well. I love the colour, graininess and craftsmanship of our pieces. You just don’t get that anymore.”
What are have you found you use for post-renovation? Leanne: “The side courtyard. Before, it had no practical use and was prime for renovation. We added a raised deck to make it level with the kitchen and dining area, and put in custom-made sash kitchen windows and French doors.”
Every one of Leanne’s finds has a tale that delights the clever decorator, who attributes her passion for rich craftsmanship to her upbringing. Originally from Stockton-on-Tees in north-east England, she spent much of her childhood in her house full of honest and practical furniture. “Everything was tactile and handmade,” she recounts. “I think that’s why I’m drawn to pieces with age and character.”
So it is with Leanne and Trent’s late 19th-century home, which still retains many of its original features, including the fireplace and floorboards. The couple happened across the former renovators’ delight in 2002. “I walked in and thought, ‘It’s got so much potential,’ and Trent walked in and thought, ‘I can’t believe I’m going from a renovated house to this place!’ ” Leanne recalls.
The pair tackled the two main rooms downstairs first, ripping up the old carpet, stripping back the floorboards and repainting, but as they were firmly in the throes of setting up their businesses, lived in it as it was for 10 years before tackling the rest of the home in 2012.
The second time around, the bedroom upstairs metamorphosed into Leanne’s office, the bathroom and kitchen were completely overhauled, the front garden became a driveway, the back courtyard was transformed and the whole place repainted.
Now, when Leanne and Trent crave down time, they retreat to their own private sanctuary filled with beautiful objects and their four dogs, Ralphy, Woody, Millhouse and Muffin who, like everything in the home, have their very own spot.
“Ralphy is normally attached to one end of the couch and Leanne’s at the other end,” Trent says. “I lounge on the club chair, Muffin sits in front of the fireplace, Millhouse will be in the hallway and Woody loves lying on cold surfaces because he’s really old.” And, like all of the couple’s other possessions, much loved.
Kitchen
A vintage zinc Brillié clock is a stand-out piece in the couple’s kitchen, which also includes an enamel British Transport sign from the 1930s. “It’s a perfect find in my eyes,” Leanne says, “and it adds an interesting layer to the subway tiling.” Leanne and Trent rarely cook, but still designed the kitchen around the handsome Belling ‘Richmond’ range oven that reminds Leanne of her childhood. “It is inspired by my nanna’s Aga,” she says. “She cooked on that all her life.
My nanna was a really great cook, but I don’t seem to have inherited her talents!” Displayed around the room are collections of vintage kitchenware, including copper pots, stoneware for mustard and jams and white Shelley jelly moulds. “The shapes and patterns are beautiful,” Leanne says. “I’ve never used them for making jelly, just for decorative or practical purposes, like displaying herbs.”
Dining room
A collection of old chairs surround the French walnut table that Leanne found in Provence and lovingly restored. The buffet dates to the late 1700s and was refurbished by Trent. “He was careful not to over-restore it,” Leanne says. “We love natural flaws and the warmth and history of the patina.”
“I love beautiful old shop fittings: the type that would have been in family-owned stores where a bell rang when you walked in.”
– Leanne, homeowner
Courtyards
The main courtyard, where Leanne and Trent often relax with their four dogs, plays host to an antique table and chairs and an industrial window, all found in the south of France. “I reclaim old windows, restore them to their former glory and add mirrored glass to them,” Leanne explains. “It’s not an easy job.”
Pre-renovation, this sun-dappled courtyard where Woody enjoys the breeze, was the side entrance. Now revamped, it’s one of Leanne’s favourite spots. “We decorated with a French bistro table and chairs, and a mixture of white flowering plants. I only have white and shades of blue and purple throughout the courtyards.”
Home office
One of Leanne and Trent’s favourite pieces is the 1920s mahogany tall boy in the upper-level attic.
“It was originally in a gentleman’s clothing and tailor store,” says Leanne, who designed the built-in shelving around the piece. “It’s full of handbags, sunglasses and my sketchbooks and portfolios. It’s great storage.”
Bedroom
An old trolley from a Sydney hospital doubles as a bedside table and houses a working Bakelite radio in the home’s one and only bedroom. Neutral-toned Sheridan linen dresses the bed, and Leanne discovered the industrial pendant light in France.
“I found just this single but even if I’d found another one, I wouldn’t have hung it on the opposite side of the bed: I don’t really go in for matching pairs,” Leanne says. The school hooks are a practical solution: “I’m really bad at putting my clothes away!”
Bathroom
A cast-iron freestanding bath , from The Cast Iron Bath Company in the UK, is one of the home’s few new pieces and weighs a cool 135 kilograms.
“I wanted just a shower but Trent said, ‘There’s only one thing I’m asking for in this house and it’s a claw-foot bath,’ ” Leanne recalls. “So that bath got put in – I had to get God knows how many people in to carry it because it’s so heavy. We’ve had it for more than two years now and it’s been used five times!”
Interior design: Leanne Carter-Taylor, Quintessential Duckeggblue
Architect: Josephine Hurley Architecture
Builder: Kevin Mahoney, 2M Projects
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