Photography: Hannah Puechmarin / Styling: Hayley Jenkin
Contrary to its quaint, old-world charm, the three-bedroom cottage where Meg, her husband Shane, and their nine-year-old son Edward live is only 23 years old. “People are surprised when I tell them when the house was built!”
Tempest House sings with the hallmarks of a vintage property. Wainscotting and wallpaper pepper the rooms, while wall sconces cast pools of warm light. A timeless palette of soft greens, blues and creams chimes with the elegant curation of furniture, rugs and decor, most of it preloved. “Facebook Marketplace is probably my favourite place to shop,” Meg shares. A handsome dining table crafted in the 1800s anchors the bright open-plan kitchen, which is finished in English-style cabinetry and the obligatory farmhouse sink.
INSIDE STORY
Meg & Shane’s home
Who lives here? Meg, an interior designer; Shane, who works in golf management; and their son Edward, 9. Their dog Bear is a Moodle, and Dolly is a Ragdoll cat.
Top Christmas decorating tip? Meg: “Have a consistent colour palette, then really mix it up with the patterns.”
Festive styling tradition? “I always like to pot a red poinsettia in a silver vintage ice bucket and bring it indoors.”
Easiest way to give a room a new look? “Vintage Turkish rugs. I love the pattern and character they add to any space.”
The cosy, traditional feel heightens at Christmas, when Meg adorns the mantelpieces with garlands, fairy lights twinkle, and plump linen bows fill any bare spot. It’s a highly romantic festive look with a European slant. You half expect to see snow fall outside the windows. Alas, the Southern Hemisphere December weather has different ideas, especially in the Sunshine State. “It’s way too hot to be outside on Christmas Day here, so we usually stay indoors with the air con on,” says Meg, adding that a big family lunch is the order of the day.
“I’m pretty organised at Christmas, because I don’t want last-minute stress”
Meg, homeowner
Meg and Shane moved from Melbourne to the Gold Coast in 2018, just after Edward was born. “Affordability and having family support with a newborn was what inspired that move,” says Meg. The couple were searching for a home with historic details. “We finally found this home that had a bit of old-world character!” says Meg. “It was structurally solid and laid out like a workers’ cottage, with ceiling roses and timber fretwork. But we wanted to add even more charm.”
The couple immediately repainted, replaced dated blue flooring with laminate, and rearranged the kitchen and bathroom layouts, learning many lessons along the way. “There’s that saying ‘buy once, cry once,’ and it definitely applied to our flooring,” says Meg about the cheap laminate they laid. “In hindsight, we should have waited, saved and got the timber flooring we have now, because the laminate only lasted a couple of years before warping,” Meg explains.
Stage two of the renovation came in 2023, when the couple transformed it into what it is today. “I use natural materials wherever I can, and I don’t mind if it gets scratched or marked,” says the designer. Her Christmas table is set without placemats or coasters, creating a relaxed look that invites guests to unwind as they dine on ham, prawns and Meg’s pavlova. “Our home feels like a big, relaxing exhale,” she shares.
Living
On Christmas morning, the family gathers around the twinkling European Fir from Balsam Hill laden with glass baubles from Bed, Bath n’ Table, fairy lights and decorations collected over time. “The vintage rug from Heir & Loom informed the palette for the rest of the home,” says Meg, who sourced the custom blinds from India (find similar on Etsy). The ‘Hyltarp’ sofa from Ikea, with cushions from Eadie Lifestyle, L&M Home, Etsy and Urban Road, is suited for family living. “The covers are machine washable, so it doesn’t matter if the dog jumps on it with muddy paws,” Meg explains.
“It’s such a nice, relaxing time of year, with Edward on holidays and Shane and I having time off work. We put carols on and watch all the Christmas movies”
Meg, homeowner
Kitchen
Bedrooms
The couple’s bedroom is painted in Benjamin Moore Intrigue, which brings out the warmth of the Hudson Furniture bedhead. Wall lights from Wovenwood Interiors sit above the bedsides. Gingham cushion from Provincial Home Living, gingham coverlet from Adairs and bolster cushion from Pottery Barn.
“Edward chose the wallpaper a few years back when he was very into sea creatures,” says Meg about the ‘Treasure Island’ wallpaper by Boråstapeter on the walls in Edward’s bedroom. She found the bed frame on Facebook Marketplace and painted it black, and the indigo patchwork throw is from Bas Shu Japan. Edward also chose the Emac & Lawton wall light.
Bathrooms
“I wanted to make the bathroom look like it had been here for a long time, so I kept the design classic,” says Meg. Key to the look is the ‘Victoria’ wallpaper by Sandberg Wallpaper.
We love… finding inspo
Inspiration hunting for Meg is done with a designer discerning eye, intentional and studied. “For instance, with this house, I pinned my absolute favourite rooms on Pinterest and looked to see if there were any common threads between them, honing in on what inspired me. I also wanted to make sure that anything I did on the interior matched the exterior and vice versa, so it’s all flowing and cohesive.”
“We renovated the main ensuite in 2020, but last year I painted the wall panelling in Resene Dusted Blue and added the ‘Raphael’ wallpaper by Sandberg Wallpaper,” says Meg, whose mother-in-law sewed the skirt on the Early Settler sink. Wall cabinet from West Elm and sconces by Matilda Goad.
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Interior design: Meg Tempest, @thetempesthouse, thetempesthouse.com
Joinery: Kaboodle, kaboodle.com.au
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