Gary Pepper Girl Nicole Warne gives us a sneak peek into her Australian home

From humble beginnings as a tiny online business selling vintage fashion, Gary Pepper Girl Nicole Warne is now a fashion juggernaut in her own right and an Australian icon on the world fashion stage. We take a look at her happy place.

It’s no secret that Nicole Warne has style. At the heart of her brand is the inimitable bravura that has formed the foundation for the hard work and determination that has seen her career enjoy a stratospheric rise to establish her as a household name, brand ambassador and ‘It’ girl about town wherever she goes on the globe.

With over 2 million followers on social media, the most talked about wedding this year and an incredible career in fashion and beauty that takes her to every glamorous event and destination in the world – constantly in the public eye - we begin to wonder what a little downtime looks like, Gary Pepper Girl style…

Our little sanctuary 💘 18 months ago Luke and I bought our first house in our dream location. I haven't shared it until now because it looks quite different to when we bought it. We spent 12 months slowly renovating it from the 70's beachside holiday house to what it is now, figuring out what we liked and filling it with our treasures we've collected along the way as well as adding some new ones. It was an exhausting labor of love, especially for a couple who went from never being allowed to put holes in the walls of their rental homes to hang their photos to being able to do as they pleased. So much freedom yet so much stress, but finally a place to call our own 💘

Eighteen months ago, Nicole and her photographer husband and long-time love Luke Shadbolt bought a 1970’s beachside holiday house and have been renovating it slowly to create their ‘forever home’, with plans for a bigger extension down the track. With the couple now living out their dreams in New York, Nicole always stays true to her Australian roots and has lately found herself dreaming of her North Avoca home in NSW and for the first time has shared a glimpse inside...

When it comes to social media there's some parts of my life I've always been really private about: my family, my friends I've grown up with, and my home. I used to travel most of the year so time at home was my safe haven, my sanctuary, and my sanity, which is why I was always so protective about sharing it. I also was never able to grasp why people would find it interesting, but here we are 🙈 Slowly I'm learning to share more personal moments of my life, moments that above everything else are the most sacred to me. What you might not know about me is I LOVE children and I'm surrounded by them when I'm home. Out of just my close circle of girlfriends we already have 10 babies including my nephew, with so many more beyond that and more on the way. It's the most incredible feeling witnessing your friends become mothers, especially when you've seen some move heaven and earth just to deliver them safely. This is the day we all met Luca for the first time, the newest little bean to enter our orbit. I think my face says it all @elizabaume 🌱

It all starts with an eye for detail and quality – Nicole and Luke designed the home themselves with a sure sense of style and the ability to pare things back to the necessities. With the help of local friends and makers have imbued the home with heart and handmade touches – timber features walls, white-washed floorboards, black detailing and a collection of indoor plants cascading greenery here and there.

Our forever home with forever pieces. Most of our furniture was custom made because we needed them to fit a specific space. Luke made the ladder and our dining table from a piece of raw wood we found on Gumtree 🙈 Our loft library and nearly every other piece of wooden furniture in the house was custom made by @softerstudio, renovations (including this timber feature wall) was project managed by @altabuild, and whilst Luke and I designed this space we worked with architect @patmait on designing our next round of renovations when we extend our place in the future. I promise this isn't a sponsored post at all. We grew up with the owners of each business on the Central Coast but bias aside, I cannot recommend them more highly. Thank you team, we are so lucky our home was built with this much love.

At the centre of the space is the divine custom-made dining table – a masterful slab of hardwood timber found on Gumtree, dressed to perfection and set atop an elegant and robust black metal frame. Hugged by a clutch of leather upholstered tubs chairs that invite long meals shared in comfort and camaraderie, it’s where you want to be.

“I used to travel most of the year so time at home was my safe haven, my sanctuary, and my sanity, which is why I was always so protective about sharing it.”
Nicole Warne on Instagram

The split-level space has a cosy loft library space hovering above the light and bright living area. Glass balustrading keeps the sight lines open to the timber-lined ceilings and links the spaces together visually. The ladder was made by Luke and the timber work was done by Melbourne furniture studio @softerstudio.

This little loft library was one of a few pieces custom made and installed for very nice friends for their beach house in North Avoca, NSW. The timber is feature grade Messmate and lockable soft close drawers. All photos by the extremely talented @lukeshadbolt

An upholstered bench seat is cleverly positioned under a large picture window to take in the views and offer a quiet escape whilst still remaining connected to the living space.

Soaring exposed beams draw the eye upwards to a pitched apex to create a calm, yet dramatic interior flow that is anchored in nature and floods the interiors with tones of natural light.

Saying goodbye to the love of our lives 💔 She's going to be with her grandparents who love her just as much as we do, but it's still the most heart breaking part about leaving. I knew it'd be hard but I start crying every time I think about leaving her. Her quality of life is so much better here and if we ever took her back to Australia I don't think she'd survive quarantine... This is the main reason we'll be living between two cities. We'll see you soon, baby girl. We love you @yumishadbolt 😭😭😭

The result is a tranquil, open-hearted space with a style that is equal parts Nordic, Japanese and coastal chic with, dare we say a Japandi feel? In any case, it’s quintessentially real and Australian at the heart, just like the couple themselves. Surely forming a welcoming retreat from their busy, cosmopolitan life.

We look forward to watching the next chapter unfold.

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Diana Moore

Content expert, florist and interior decorator Diana Moore has been passionate about helping others make the perfect home ever since she moved into her own. From styling her local bar to feel like your best friend’s lounge room, to randomly restyling people’s bookshelves, Diana is a firm believer in making the best of what you have in front of you.