today on unexpected guests i’m over the moon to share with you the beautiful home of alice flynn in Sydney, australia. alice is a partner with her sister at penny farthing design house, and an interior designer by trade, which may be why her home knocked my socks off.
Where do you live, and what are a few of your favorite things to do in your neighborhood?
We are in Avalon in Sydney, Australia. It is about as far north as you can get from the city, though I love to get into the centre of Sydney each week to feel the buzz, have a great coffee, and find something new there that I haven’t seen yet. Up here, it’s catching up with friends on the boat and finding a little beach to a have a beach BBQ with some seafood.
Do you have a secret spot or off the beaten path place in avalon you think we should know about?
We love taking the girls on the boat up Pittwater river and going to lunch at the boathouse at Palm beach, a little cafe on the water that serves amazing food where the sun streams in all day.
What’s your day job?
I am an Interior designer by trade, though i work day to day in the business with my sister. I often end up on my husband’s jobs (as he is builder) to help the client with the anything from layout to finishing touches. I love doing this with him as he knows exactly what I mean with very few words or descriptions. He gets it very right and I get the joy in creating someone else’s space.
What five things can’t you live without?
1. Family and our amazing friends.
2. My Ipad without a doubt. I love to sneak a quick blog read in wherever I am, and can manage the shop from anywhere we are.
3. Sunshine. it streams into the house all day where we live and I think it is the fuel we need in our family, the girls gravitate to it all afternoon.
4. Mobility — life without a drivers licence or car would be impossible for me for what we do and how we live… I love being able to pop anywhere at anytime.
5. Magazines, I love opening the letterbox to a surprise every few days with a new magazine in the post.
What is your favorite vacation destination?
We have just been to Bali, indonesia. the design in cafes and restaurants was amazing, hotels incredible. my favourite we stayed at was the Anantara in Seminyak. the food was great, shopping exciting. And sun. What more? That said, I am always pining to get to South America, which I hope to soon.
If you could go shopping with anyone in the world, who would it be?
Olivia Palermo, have always loved her style.
Do you have a favorite quote or expression?
I am loving florence and the machine at the moment, and my favourite song is “shake it out” there is a line in it about “its hard to dance with the devil on your back, shake it out”, which I love.
When you’re having guests over, do you have a signature cocktail or special snack you prepare?
A plate of fried haloumi with finely chopped mint and freshly squeezed lemon juice is always a hit, always best with a good glass of champagne.
Who’s your doppelganger (look-alike, or soul sister)?
Have to say my eldest sister Sarah here, we do get mistaken for one another sometimes, and have a very similar style (lucky, as we are in a design business together) but occasionally get caught out wearing the exact same pieces.
We do a lot together and have a room at each others house, as our houses on the opposite sides of Sydney.
What bores you to death?
Being stagnant. I wouldn’t want to rest on what I achieved yesterday, but look to what I can make out of today. And expensive candles in peoples houses that go unburnt for too long.
• all photos by Tim Pascoe.
