72 Australian Country HOMES
homes in metropolitan Adelaide. As her
ancestor helped build those houses, there
is a possibility that he might have built
hers. Today, Colonel Light Gardens is a
heritage-listed suburb.
During the past 15 years the Sobols
have transformed the interior of their
home into an assemblage of vintage and
antique ornaments, something Linda
thinks is perceived as clutter by others.
“My mother-in-law calls our home a
museum,” Linda says. “I love furniture
and items with some history behind
them because it means they’ve got some
sort of story. I like to collect things and
restore them for later use. For example,
we have an old wooden plane propeller
that hangs on our kitchen wall. Tess’s
husband is an aeronautical engineer
and he found it and brought it to us.
We restored it and even used it as a
centrepiece for Tess’s wedding. It has a lot
of sentimental value.”
The propeller is not the only thing that
Linda has lent out for weddings, with
family and friends having borrowed her
vintage suitcases, rustic tables along with
many other items she has collected over
time. She also confesses to having an
obsession with fl ags, having decorated
her home with cotton, cushion and
bunting fl ags. Linda works in retail and
both she and her husband work six days
a week so they fi nd time, as well as relief,
in small getaways on Sundays when they
go hunting for rare items. “Wallie and
I like to go on the road to little markets
and antique shops in small countryThese pages: The home is inspired by the French country style with a mixture of modern and old
furnishings, which extends to their grandchild’s room. Linda lends some of her vintage finds to friends for
special occasions because she discovered the joys of upcycling long before it became a trend. ›