Better Homes and Gardens star Tara Dennis convinced her landlord to sell her her first house.
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What is your strongest memory of your childhood home?
I was born in London and we moved back and forth until I was seven so I don't have any strong memories of home until we finally bought a house in Canberra. From then on, we just seemed to always be busy as a whole family working on the house, whether it be decorating or gardening.
My brothers and I were tasked to strip wallpaper and paint, my dad did plenty of building - I learnt to gyprock and add cornices before I was 10. My mum constantly re-decorated and re-styled the house and created a lovely garden. I do remember she once wallpapered my brother's bedroom in pink Sanderson floral chintz wallpaper when he was away on school camp. He was furious and left home not long after, though she still insists it looked lovely.
I guess you could say I was born into it; decorating comes very naturally to me.
What do you recall about buying your first home?
Buying my first home was a huge financial stretch but I'm so happy to have made the effort to get into the market when I did. We were renting at the time and although the property wasn't for sale, after a few years I convinced the owner to sell. The home not only gave me and my family security, but also allowed us to be able to renovate and plant a garden to suit the way we lived. We lived there for 14 years and have only happy memories of our time there.
Have you ever house-shared with flatmates?
Oh yes, it was awful. I lived in London in my late teens and shared a flat with a bunch of crazy girls. To say there were no house rules was an understatement; I ended up moving out and living alone in a bedsit, which suited me down to the ground.
Can you share any tips for organising your home?
The reality is most of us have too much stuff so I think the solution is to have a good sort-out and establish what you want to keep and find better ways to store and organise it. Once you have a system in place, routine maintenance will help it to stay that way otherwise things can quickly get out of hand.
I have a saying that a home should be 'tidal'. If something comes in, something must go out. I advocate regularly donating to charity shops and even have a basket set aside especially so things can be stashed there until I can make the journey.
Do you have a favourite room?
I love my kitchen as the room is open plan, it's where we gather most. We have a huge marble island bench which seats 10 and is just so versatile. It's where we prep and serve dinner, play games, do homework and is also where most of my art and designs are done. In summer it's bright and airy while in winter we have an open fire and a couple of comfy armchairs, it's really cosy. I love casual comforts.
What is the worst piece of furniture or household item you have bought?
I didn't actually buy it but my parents bought it for me. It was a king single velvet waterbed back in the early '80s. It went with the wall of bronze mirror tiles I applied myself. I thought it was pretty great at the time but now I question what we were all thinking! It's funny how things go around though, as velvet and bronze mirror is back. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
What's the best household item you own?
We are collecting some really great art which comes from all over the world. I particularly love vintage seascapes and we have quite a few now. Whenever I travel I always come home with canvases and frames packed in my suitcase, I find them often at flea markets. I also like simple things like my collection of handmade bowls. I find joy in simple and beautiful objects, they don't need to be expensive.
Do you enjoy gardening?
Yes, I love gardening but sadly don't have much time to do so. We live in the bush on the Hawkesbury River and have had to plant over the years by trial and error as not much survives there, it's quite harsh. So far we are having great success with succulents and palms so are gradually landscaping our sloping block accordingly. It's a great workout gardening at home, it's rough terrain, reserved especially for the brave and for mountain goats!
If you could live in a dream house, anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I always imagine I'll end up surrounded by land with a view of the sea. I would adore a farmhouse with a cottage garden, a big old art studio out the back with a cosy porch to relax in the sun and watch the waves. I'm not sure where, Australia is pretty hard to beat.
Tara Dennis appears on Seven's Better Homes and Gardens, Fridays at 7pm.
