Today’s stunning Sydney home is one I’ve been chasing for quite some time – the creative couple who live here, Sally Campbell and her husband Greg will certainly attest to that! I must shamefully admit I’ve been badgering them (not relentlessly, mind you – off and on!) for almost 2 years… but this busy pair spend so much of their year travelling due to Sally’s incredible business, and so it wasn’t until last month that the opportunity finally presented itself to shoot their beautiful home. Wowsers! Luckily, it was totally worth the wait!
As I am sure many of you know, Sally is an amazing textile designer responsible for the most vibrant, beautiful quilts and soft furnishings, created under the name Sally Campbell Handmade Textiles. In fact Sally was one of the very first people I ever interviewed on this site. I’ve admired her work for a very long time, especially because like me, Sally is an escapee of the film industry! (ha ha just kidding, kind of). After 25 years working as a set and costume designer, Sally’s passion for beautiful textiles eventually inspired her to produce her own collection of soft furnishings – she launched her business in 2005, and hasn’t looked back.
Sally and Greg have lived in their beautiful and rather massive Victorian home in Sydney’s Randwick for 10 years. The best way I can think to describe their very special home, is to say that it somehow has that luscious-but-lived-in feel, normally reserved for the homes of fictional film characters! It’s unpretentious and ‘real’, even though it’s grand and busy and a little overwhelming! Since being here they’ve updated only small sections – the bathrooms, pantry and laundry have been re-worked, and Sally has created a beautiful lush courtyard garden at the rear of the home, which spills glossy foliage across every window and doorway. It is SO heavenly.
Of course the home has very impressive bones; generous rooms, high ceilings and Victorian fixtures, such as the marble fireplaces in almost every room – one of Sally’s favourite features. But the real specialness here is in the eclectic details, and the stories this space tells about Sally and Greg and their creative friends and family. Sally and Greg travel to India every year, and as you can see, their home is filled with souvenirs from their travels. Sally’s sister Cressida Campbell is a BRILLIANT (and very famous!) artist – her work is dotted around the house, and in turn, this eclectic home has been the subject of many of her incredible paintings. (TRULY amazing work you must check it out!). Amongst her many treasures, Sally says Cressida’s paintings are her favourite possessions.
Massive thanks to Sally and Greg for generously sharing their home with us today! If you love Sally’s home you will most certainly love her beautiful work – do check out her brand new website, blog and online store to see some of her pieces, and shots of her amazing travels in India. I am especially in love with her new Frenchie-style lightweight cotton towels… you know the ones. So posh. Love love. (Sally are those solid red/blue stripe ones in stock yet!? Keep me posted!).