This Family Home Is A Love Letter To Australian Art
Homes
Vitra Akari 50EN pendant. Weekday bench by HAY. Knoll Cesca chair designed by Marcel Breuer. Tripp Trapp chair by Stokke.
Anibou USM Haller sideboard. Antique vase. Artwork on far left by Julian Hocking. Artwork in middle by Aubrey Tjangala. Vase and tray by Sophie Lou Jacobsen. Flower sculptures by Peter D. Cole. Sculpture by Angus Gardner. Flat Stanley chair by Sean Brickhill.
Anibou USM Haller sideboard. Flower sculptures by Peter D. Cole. Sculpture by Angus Gardner. Red vase by Dinosaur Designs.
Anibou USM Haller sideboard. Antique vase. Artwork on left by Julian Hocking. Artwork by Aubrey Tjangala. Vase and tray by Sophie Lou Jacobsen. Flower sculptures by Peter D. Cole. Sculpture by Angus Gardner. Red vase by Dinosaur Designs.
‘I am very fond of my Ingo Maurer lamp, although keeping it safe from my kids is a daily stress,’ says Lily. ‘My 1.5 year old has cottoned on to the fact that I am precious about it and finds it hilarious to wind me up by pretending he’s going to hit it!’ Sofa by Dopha in chartreuse velvet. Artworks by Aubrey Tjangala, Wes Waddell, and Pia Murphy. Aalto table by Artek. Vase on coffee table designed by Gaetano Pesce. Coffee table by Benjamin Baldwin.
Advertising creative director Jonathan Rands, and Sunday Salon founder Lily Mora in their Thornbury home. Artwork on right by Lucy Anderson.
Rug from Etsy. Bedding from Lucas du Tertre. Antique rocker from Leonard Joel. Rice Paper Shade Large by HAY. Artwork above bed by Jordy van den Nieuwendijk. Print above drawers by Martin Sharp. Chest of drawers by IKEA, customised and painted. Get the look with Tint custom paint shade 8QYQLDDU (blue stripes) and Tint custom paint shade 6UP2S0TG (green shelves).
Bedding from Lucas du Tertre. Artwork above bed by Jordy van den Nieuwendijk. Print above drawers by Martin Sharp. Small artwork on drawers by Mirka Mora. Chest of drawers by IKEA, customised and painted. Get the look with Tint custom paint shade 8QYQLDDU (blue stripes) and Tint custom paint shade 6UP2S0TG (green shelves)
Painting by Mirka Mora. Bench seat and coffee table by Coco Flip. Doona cover by Tekla. Floral pillow case and bedspread by Lucas du Tertre. Zig zag pillowcase from Secret Linen Store. Get the look with Tint custom paint shade A5WW5P94.
Bedding by Tekla. Rice Paper Shade by HAY. Artworks by Mirka Mora. Get the look with Tint custom paint shade 8OER48M4
Sunday Salon founder Lily Mora and advertising creative director Jonathan Rands bought their Thornbury house when Lily was heavily pregnant, which in her words is ‘probably not a great time to make big life decisions.’
Fortunately, it’s all worked out for the couple, who have happily resided in the house ever since, and welcomed their two children Sonny (now 3) and Claude (18 months) into the world.
A previous owner had renovated the weatherboard cottage about 15 years prior. The interiors didn’t offer much in the way of character, but they were completely functional and had a ‘blank canvas’ appeal — ideal for an art curator to style. Lily has a seriously impressive art collection featuring works inherited from her late godfather Martin Sharp and late grandmother Mirka Mora, who were both iconic local artists.
‘The three works above our bed were given to me by my grandmother Mirka for various birthdays, so they are very special to me,’ says Lily.
‘Martin Sharp was my godfather and I am lucky to have several prints that he gave me, including the one hanging in the boys room which I adore. Sadly he died before I had children, but I know he would love to know it is hanging in their room.
‘I also have a portrait of my late father [gallerist and art dealer William Mora] by Mark Chu which is very special, and I like having him in the hallway to say hello to as we come in and out of the house.’
There’s also pieces on display by First Nations artists, and works by emerging artists Lily has shown through Sunday Salon.
Colour has also played a big role in giving the family home more personality, starting with the blue stripes Jonathan painted on Sonny and Claude’s bedroom walls. ‘It took him forever to measure out each stripe with tape, but I think it was worth it in the end,’ Lily says.
The main bedroom walls feature a soothing buttermilk yellow, while the spare bedroom/home office is a deep olive green — the perfect backdrop for another vibrant Mirka Mora painting.
Primary colours (or close to it) are otherwise a theme in the home’s styling, as seen in the yellow and red flower sculptures by Peter D. Cole, HAY red dining room bench, yellow Gaetano Pesce vase, navy USM Haller sideboard, and chartreuse velvet sofa.
After five years living in London and a short stint living regionally, Lily and Jonathan are proud of the home and community they’ve been able to build in Thornbury. Their house strikes the perfect balance of liveability and individuality, in a neighbourhood where everything can be found on foot.