In Conversation With: Fiona

On collecting, travel & creating a home over time

"A room isn't just done overnight, it takes years."

For Fiona, a beautiful home is something you build slowly. Inspired by her travels and filled with antiques, old books, artwork and pieces collected over decades, her Avalon home is a reflection of the things she genuinely loves. It’s also very much a family home, shared with her husband and six children, where nothing is too precious and everything is made to be lived with.

We sat down with Fiona to talk about her inspiration, her love of collecting and why the best homes evolve over time.

What inspired the style of your home?

"At the time I travelled through India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, fell in love with the Singapore black and whites. And I thought, I'm going to come home to Avalon Beach and I'm not going to do the Hamptons thing."

"That was the inspiration."

Would you call yourself a collector?

"I'm a collector, so things take time."

"I've got all my old books in here. I've got my shells in here. I love bugs and insects. I just love that kind of natural history. I'm collecting my oil paintings."

You've been shopping with Alfresco Emporium since the early days. What do you love about the pieces you've collected?

"I remember I've been buying from Alfresco since the family was in Pittwater Place in Mona Vale. And I didn't have so many children then, I think I only had one, and I would go and spend my pay cheque in there, just to kind of, you know, start collecting things."

"Because they're timeless and because they're real and they're authentic, like these beautiful solid brass candle holders. Like, they weigh a ton. And I love them. And I get them out all the time."

"They're pieces that you keep, and then you can curate your room around it, but they stay. They're part of the family. They're part of the house all the time."

You mix old and new so naturally. What draws you to older pieces?

"When I go to places, antique shops, travel, that when I do find something that's really old and beautiful, I feel like some people, you know, they go to the pound and they adopt a puppy."

"I literally feel like I'm giving this beautiful old handmade furniture a second life. You can come live with us. You can come live with our family."

We love how you've used two of our coffee tables together. How did that come about?

"I wanted a big square coffee table. I couldn't find what I wanted. I knew I wanted this bamboo look. So I just literally bought two and just pop them together, and it works."

"You can always move things around, you can kind of tailor it to yourself."

Collected Over Time

Fiona's home is a reminder that the most interesting interiors aren't created overnight. They evolve slowly, through travel, family, treasured finds and the pieces we choose to keep.

Love Fiona’s style? View the Style Guide and shop the look.