HGAT HOME WITH
W
hen T V news presenter Rebecca Morse, her
producer husband James Wakelin and their
daughters Grace, 13, and Milla, seven, returned
to Adelaide after a stint in Melbourne, they
hadnodoubtsastowheretheywantedtolive.
“Welovethebeachandspendsomuchtimetherethatwe wanted
to be as close to the sea as possible,” says Rebecca.
At the time, Rebecca was pregnant
with a third daughter, Frankie (now
five), which lent their house hunt
a sense of urgency. Happily, the
search proved less arduous than
expected and the couple quickly
secured a 1915 bungalow in one of
Adelaide’s most charming beachside
suburbs. Set back from the street
and slightly elevated on a sloping
site, the character of the three-
bedroom house instantly appealed.
The newly constructed rear and
first-floor additions sealed the deal.
The bungalow had recently been
beautifully and sensitively renovated
by the previous owner, a builder.
Key original features such as the
timber floorboards and stained-
glass windows were painstakingly
restored, and the new additions
sympathetically designed. “We
were fortunate to find a place that
wasalreadyaswewantedit,”says
Rebecca. “We only made minor
changes – retiling the kitchen splashback and adding a blackboard
above it and repainting the downstairs bathroom.”
The interior’s overall aesthetic isn’t defined by any one style,
although Rebecca admits she’s inspired by the informality and
eclecticism of beach houses. She has focused on personalising
each space and the result is a whimsically decorated and
welcoming home that looks loved and lived in. Clusters of
colourful artworks, displays of much-loved mementos andvignettes of knick-knacks and assorted curios pepper the scheme.
“I like the fact I can look around and see things we’ve collected
on our travels, things that make me smile,” she says. “I just want
the house to be bright and happy.”
Every object in the home contributes to the interior’s relaxed
ambience and certain items have strong sentimental value, such
as the cross in the kitchen, which was bought in Byron Bay,
NSW, where Rebecca and James
honeymooned and celebrated their
10-year wedding anniversary.
Rebecca’s furniture selection
includes a secondhand sideboard,
custom-painted Ikea bar stools
and a beloved timber dining table
from Koskela. “I don’t want the
house to look like a display home,
whichiswhyIliketosourcethings
from as many different places as
possible,” she says.
Perhaps the most surprising
piece of furniture in the house is
the couple’s loft bed. “We get
weird looks from people when the
kids say, ‘Mummy and Daddy sleep
in a bunk!’” says Rebecca. But
there’s method to the madness:
the loft bed affords the couple
unobstructed ocean views, which
would otherwise be obscured by
the balcony’s balustrade. The rear
balcony also affords picturesque
views of the CBD and surrounding
suburbs, including the lights of Adelaide Oval.
There are no further renovations planned in the foreseeable
future, although Rebecca and James might consider converting
the formal living room into an additional bedroom when
Milla and Frankie no longer want to share. In the meantime, the
home’s only downside is salt on the windows and trails of sand
through the house. “It’s a small price to pay for living in paradise,”
says Rebecca. >ABOVERebecca and James have a penchant for artworks that are fun, fluoro and a little kitsch. Chair, Terrace Floors & Furnishings. Oar, Fenton &
Fenton. Painting by an unknown Bali artist. Birdhouse sculpture, Mark Tuckey. Dot print, Rachel Castle. Mirror, The Society Inc.OPPOSITEA large
skylight off the dining room draws plenty of light into the core of the house, where Frankie likes to play. Dandelion rug, Armadillo&Co. Tent, Such Great
Heights. Coffee table, Globe West. Sofa, Mosmo Living. Cushions from Greenfield & Hunter and Little Bohemian. Hepsi patchwork rug, Loom Rugs.
Artworks all by Rachel Castle.For Where to Buy, see page 188.