John Downs
TV personality and self-confessed homebody, Shelley Craft has found her ‘forever house for now’ in the heart of Byron Bay. For Shelley, there’s no place she’d rather be than a home with husband Christain and daughters Millia and Eadie. Here, she talks about her love for homewares, decorating and living in beautiful Byron Bay.
What sets Byron Bay apart in terms of its style and feel?
Shelley: “Byron is a very unique place to live. The natural beauty and relaxed atmosphere seeps into every household. Byron’s nature plays a huge part in all our lives. As the sign says on the way in ’Cheer up, Slowdown, Chill out”. I should have that on our front gate too as that is how we want our home to feel.”
Describe your style?
“My style is ever changing. I would like to think there was a relaxed elegance about it. Kid proof and comfy might be another way to describe us. I change the look seasonally to serve my addiction to buying homewares but the key pieces are the grounding factor. Throw cushions and details like vases and accent colours can be easily swapped around to change with the mood or the season.”
What’s your favourite piece in the home?
“My favourite piece in our home is the pendant light above our dining table. I saw this light many years ago in a house in Florida and fell in love with it then. When we brought this home, I knew it would be the perfect piece for this area. Finding it for sale was a mission. I saw it again on Pinterest, I called the manufacturer in the States who said it was out of production, I searched high and low online and just as I was about to order another pendant online, it popped up here in Australia at Coco Republic – it’s the last one left in the whole world!!”
What’s your top renovating tip to imbue personality in a space?
“It’s really important to not get so carried away with a trend that there is no sense of who lives in the house. This doesn’t mean having to have family photos out everywhere, but it does have to feel lived in to feel like a home and not a display house. I use greenery to bring an area to life…I also love my natural tones and furniture with a ‘lived in look’ or with a story.”
What’s your weekend ritual?
“We love getting out and about in town on the weekend. Whether it’s riding to the beach or breakfast, heading down to Nippers on Sunday – we are lucky that there is so much to do here without having to go too far. The girls love the beach, lunch and then lazing around by the pool or having movie afternoons at home. We also love to have friends around. This is the perfect house for friends, family and hanging out.”
To read all about Shelley Craft’s style secrets pick up our August issue on sale now.
