Renee’s gorgeous lounge has taken shape over time, by carefully selecting and gathering pieces that resonate with her. “Most of my finds have come from markets or op shops; its my way to unwind”.

“The curved vase came from my mother as a birthday present. I think it was the first time she understood that I only like old things that have a history. It came from a garage sale in country New South Wales, and is hand signed McCredie NSW. It’s one of the things I will never get rid of. I love it and it is very much my style.”

“One of my favourite things about the lounge room is the fire place and our weekend ritual of lighting a fire. The ‘mister’ and I are not into watching too much TV, so we love the occasion of staying in, cooking and getting cosy.”

“When I lived in Sydney, my favourite market was the Rozelle Sunday Markets. I found the shell sailboat picture frames there. The stall holder was asking for quite a lot of money, but after picking them up and seeing they were completely home made I knew I could not leave without purchasing them. I loved the fact that they were a pair, that they had love heart frames and that they were hand made…so romantic.”

When Renee moved to Melbourne two years ago, her weekly Sunday ritual was attending Camberwell Market. These two lovely ladies were picked up on one of those market excursions.

For years, Renee was on the hunt for one of these pineapple lamps. Finally found, it’s now her favourite piece in the room.

The little bird in the cabinet came from an op-shop in Katoomba New South Wales. “I used to be a vintage clothing dealer there and lived there for 7 years.

“Before moving to Melbourne I had a huge clear out of all my collectables, but I kept a small collection of bric a brac and furniture. I had one piece of the Italian gold and white ceramic and I found the other two on different weeks at the markets. I was super pleased as it makes a perfect trio.”

“One of my favourite times in fashion is the late 50s/early 60s. I loved that ladies used to hand make their clothes back then and I love the illustrations.”

The infamous Tretchikoff print, sits above the armchair that has been with Renee for some time. “The chair used to be part of a pair and the other one was green. It’s nothing special but it is super comfortable. My cat scratched the top, and now it has claw marks, so it’s become invaluable.”