Photographer, artist and mum Lee Illfield moved this year into a two-bedroom one-bathroom house in Tighes Hill. Seventeen years ago she returned to her native region after spending much of her formative years in Perth. (She was born in Maitland)
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She moved into a house she'd fallen in love with, a house that also happened to fall into her lap.
"Wonderful luck and friendship brought me here," she says.
"The friends of mine who owned this house were moving to Perth. They asked my advice about Perth, and my landlord asked us to move out of the house we were living in."
When chatting with them about Perth, Illfield expressed interest in living in their place, but her friends told her it was promised to someone else. But then suddenly they rang and told her "it's fallen through; it's yours!"
The purple house is perhaps a bit unkempt from the outside, but this makes the interior all the more unexpected and enjoyable. Her home is like walking into a wondrous world of light, nature, colour and art. Illfield's done everything she can to make it her own while honouring its creative, nature-loving owners.
She reckons the house is at least 100 years old, similar to other houses in the area. She also knows it was once split in half and relocated to its current location. It was also renovated at some point; the house used to stop where the kitchen is now.
What is now the kids' playroom was once an outdoor laundry.
Illfield is a single mum to two young boys and runs a business from home, no easy stretch. She believes having the right aesthetic in her home gives her the energy to get her through her day.
"My objective is to express myself in my home," Illfield says.
"Going forward in my journey on my own, forming my own identity, (creating a beautiful space has) been poignant in the growth from a married person to a single mum. I love bringing friends into my space feeling welcome and homely".
Earlier this year an accident caused her to lose part of her vision. Since then, she has developed a new perspective on life. Living and working from here has not only been about making it perfect for her family but about the community around her. She supports them, and they have supported her, especially during her accident.
"People are always welcome, the kettle is always on. I have a huge tea cup collection and you have to choose your own teacup. People will come and take cuttings of my plants; my plants have gone out into the world," she says.
The home is full of natural things and art that she loves. The table in the kitchen was her grandmother's wedding present. Also in the kitchen is her great-grandfather's arm chair.
"I can give you a story of every piece of art or furniture in the house. I can tell you who made everything in my home. I love being surrounded by those possessions and the connections. Nothing is bought from Kmart, everything is second-hand and has a story," she says.
She does her photography and sewing in her studio, which gets great winter sun. A beautiful glass door provides a barrier between her work and family life.
"During the winter time it's a sunroom; it's not uncommon for friends to come nap on the couch," Illfield says of her office.
In the summer the wisteria grows around the house, providing shade. It adds to the natural vibe, as does a grapevine growing through the back.
She has art from many local artists. Above the couch is a natural sculpture by Naomi Wild.
"People walk in and go "wow". She built it at the Olive Tree Market, the intention behind making it was to bring people together. I asked her would you consider selling it, and she said 'to you, yes I would'," she says.
Illfield loves her location, her aesthetic, and her new direction. Most importantly, she repeats, are the friends and community who have rallied around her since she started this new chapter.
"It's literally 'can I borrow a cup of sugar?' or I'm walking down the street with my glass of wine," she says.