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In the past three years Holly Thompson, founder of Goodspace, has experienced first hand the unpredictability of renting.
In 2021 she was living in a beautiful mid-century rental in Kew East with friend and co-worker Stephanie Lane and their two daughters. As some readers will remember, they had to move out of that home in May of that year when it was sold and later demolished.
Holly then moved into a rental property down the road; a 1920s California Bungalow, filled with character. She and her daughter Lola, 8, were there for just over a year before being dealt ‘an extreme rental increase’, forcing Holly and Lola to move once again.
‘Renting can be unsettling… it’s hard, especially because I have a young child and I don’t want her to have to adjust to new homes all the time,’ says Holly.
They’ve now been in this Alphington rental for a year — their third home in four years.
‘It wasn’t at the top of my list’, she says of the home itself. ‘It’s more modern than I would usually go for. But once I inspected the property… it drew me in immediately with its large windows, high ceilings and all the features of a home that I wanted to make our little family comfortable.’
Despite the limitations inherent with renting, Holly has managed to inject her signature ‘minimal yet warm’ style into the home, in a relatively short space of time. New curtains and pendant lights lend a serene atmosphere to the space — ‘plug in pendants are such a good addition to rental properties, because there’s no installation need’, she explains.
And, if it was up to her, she’d be painting the whole house the colour of her bedroom; a beautiful warm beige. ‘I think warm tones on walls give such a depth to a space’, she says.
But, for the time being, Holly’s wonderful selection of furniture does the trick. As the founder of Goodspace, , Holly is in no short supply of beautiful mid-century pieces.
‘There is only one piece of furniture in my whole home that is not sourced from Goodspace,’ she explains. ‘And that’s my Monde sofa. It makes me proud to say that I’ve sourced an entire home of furniture and homewares.’
From the 90s Natuzzi Luna lamp in the living room, to the handmade slatted 1950s timber chair in her bedroom, Holly’s eclectic mix of vintage finds has completely transformed the modern rental — and will continue to do so. As Holly explains, ‘my furniture constantly changes, as I’m always swapping stock around and keeping my new favourite pieces — perks of the job!”
With a handful of parks in walking distance and a local farmers market every sunday, Holly and Lola are very happy in their new home — it mightn’t be ‘forever’, but for now they’re hoping to stay for as long as they can.
