It’s always a good sign when the people working on a property development end up living in the homes they design.

Architect Bonnie Herring was working at Breathe Architecture when designing The Commons — a multi-residential development in Brunswick — which became the prototype for not-for-profit property organisation Nightingale Housing and its buildings.

Eager to champion the same values as her professional work, Bonnie ditched her car for good, and purchased one of the apartments with her partner James Senior (who also now works for Nightingale Housing as their partnerships manager!)

Moving into the home, Bonnie recalls the apartment and its interiors being even better than anticipated. ‘It was so tactile, scented with oil from the recycled timber floorboards, and with perfectly imperfect natural materials: raw concrete dapple, bluestone, recycled brick and formply,’ she says. ‘It shouldn’t have been a surprise after specifying the same and working on the project, but the lived experience was vivid.’

The Brunswick location was also ideal, being connected to the city by rail, cycling trails, and trams to suit its car-free residents.

‘It continues to evolve but remains a cultural melting pot with fantastic food, dedication to coffee, impressive arts scene, and unconventional delight,’ says Bonnie of Brunswick. ‘The immediate Anstey village area has been reshaped in the last 15 years through rezoning and subsequent medium density apartments, and with it, a generally active broader community who like me enjoy agitating for a greener, safe and vibrant public realm [has emerged].’

It’s this sense of community that attracts many people to Nightingale’s ongoing projects. If not relaxing in the apartment, you’ll often find Bonnie roaming around the raised vegetable garden, walking their dog Mia Martini at a nearby pocket park, chatting to neighbours on the stairs, or filling a clam shell pool on the rooftop lawn for her five-year-old daughter Penelope (and any other children who happen to be about)!

‘The village vibe is strong, with occasional street markets and events, working bees, neighbour dog walkers, and kid minders,’ says Bonnie. ‘Relationships with neighbours who share that experience is something we both treasure and rely on.’

James and Bonnie have styled their two-bedroom home with restraint, honouring the authenticity of the materials (mostly concrete and recycled timber) with mid-century furniture, ceramic sculptures, and colourful art accents.

They’ve made only small tweaks to the original fabric over the past eight years, adding adjustable pendants, a custom-designed wall wash light to suit their artwork, and tailor-made storage.

To James and Bonnie, home is a place that ‘should wear in with life, not wear out’. The design should be specific to the resident’s needs, and celebrate their passions rather than being generic —  something the couple hope to achieve on a wider scale through their work.

Bonnie says it’s been fantastic to test her design decisions through living at Nightingale, taking advantage of the lifestyle cues, passive design comforts, and deep sense of community.