Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Creative Collector's Home Bursting With Personality
Freddy Grant is a passionate collector of old objects, quirky ephemera and modern art. His home is his gallery
Working for Australia’s largest online art gallery, Bluethumb, and having a penchant for collecting ‘nostalgic things’ means Freddy Grant needs a space to display all he loves. Thankfully, his 1920s weatherboard home is the perfect backdrop for his eclectic collection of beloved objects. Brimming with personalities, including his husband Burton, dog Grungle and rather large feline, Totoro, Freddy’s home is all about telling the story of lives lived well.
“The agent said if we put in an offer within the range we’d likely get it. We knew the market was finally slowing and thought this could be our chance. We put in an offer and it was ours. It seemed like a miracle.”
The two batiks in the hallway are by Erik Suriyasena and were picked up during Freddy and Burt’s travels through Sri Lanka.
The two batiks in the hallway are by Erik Suriyasena and were picked up during Freddy and Burt’s travels through Sri Lanka.
The previous owners were in the middle of renovating when they sold, so the interior was almost finished, and required only superficial touching up. There’s still work to be done on the outside but, having only been in the house since October 2017, all of the residents are happy to wait.
Grungle (pictured) is particularly keen on settling onto the beds when he arrives back home after a day at the the office. “He comes to work with me and commutes on the train,” says Freddy. “He’s like a little human, very smart and full of personality and eccentricities. He loves life and anyone who throws a ball or wants to go for a walk. He hates hot air balloons, thunder, air brakes, fireworks, the vet, baths, solitude, puppies, Melbourne traffic… the list gets longer the older he gets, a bit like me.”
In one of the front bedrooms an old photo of Shanghai’s Bund has pride of place. It’s a souvenir from the year the couple lived in Shanghai.
Grungle (pictured) is particularly keen on settling onto the beds when he arrives back home after a day at the the office. “He comes to work with me and commutes on the train,” says Freddy. “He’s like a little human, very smart and full of personality and eccentricities. He loves life and anyone who throws a ball or wants to go for a walk. He hates hot air balloons, thunder, air brakes, fireworks, the vet, baths, solitude, puppies, Melbourne traffic… the list gets longer the older he gets, a bit like me.”
In one of the front bedrooms an old photo of Shanghai’s Bund has pride of place. It’s a souvenir from the year the couple lived in Shanghai.
Freddy, who works in PR for Bluethumb (and confesses to being one of its most prolific customers) loves art and says that moving into the house has spurred his creativity. “This house has been my latest outlet; I like hunting for things and putting them together to create a space we love, and that’s full of memories and meaning,” he says.
The living area is a friendly space that is full of art and treasures. Four of Karen Coull‘s Orchid series hang to the left of the credenza. The couple also uses Samsung’s The Frame TV to display art, in this case a photograph by Megan George.
On the right is Ross Yulidjirri’s ‘Lightning Man’.
On the right is Ross Yulidjirri’s ‘Lightning Man’.
While he loves every aspect of his house, Freddy’s favourite place is the mantel above the fireplace, because of the memories it holds. Surrounding Erin Nicholls’ ‘Rainy Day in 3D’, which she made in collaboration with Lars Laug, are souvenirs from the couple’s life together, as well as knitted pieces by Freddy’s mum, aka MadMonkeyKnits.
When Freddy first came to Australia from the UK, he worked at an Indigenous art gallery in Darwin where legendary artist and actor David Gulpilil painted and sold his work. “It was such an exciting time,” he says. “I loved hanging out with David in the day and watching his films at night.”
A bar provides welcome refreshment in a corner of the living area.
A bar provides welcome refreshment in a corner of the living area.
And of the objects they bought for the house, almost everything comes from a single supplier: The Vintage Workshop in Footscray. “I’ve always loved old things,” says Freddy. “But I didn’t realise I had such an affinity for mid-century design and teak until we started buying from the owner, Dave.
“He restores things beautifully and charges a fraction of the price you’d pay in [more upmarket] Fitzroy.”
“He restores things beautifully and charges a fraction of the price you’d pay in [more upmarket] Fitzroy.”
The colour doesn’t stop outdoors either. The couple bought the coloured bottles from Bunnings because Freddy wanted a little rainbow pride in the garden. “Stringing them up together seemed like a fun way to make them a feature, and Burt doesn’t like fairground lights so they were a good compromise,” he says.
So what’s next for the couple? “More art!” says Freddy. “We have the beginnings of a portrait wall, but we want it to be completely covered from floor to ceiling, like something out of a haunted house, only not scary.
“I’d also love a couple more large abstract pieces for the bedrooms. Something by the artists at Tjarlirli or Ninuku would be perfect. They have surprisinglyaffordable work by high-profile artists such as Jimmy Donegan, so if I was smart I’d invest in something by one of those. But as I said before, I usually just buy what I love…”
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More
Want more? Take a look at last week’s My Houzz: An Architect’s Downsizer is all in the Detail
“I’d also love a couple more large abstract pieces for the bedrooms. Something by the artists at Tjarlirli or Ninuku would be perfect. They have surprisinglyaffordable work by high-profile artists such as Jimmy Donegan, so if I was smart I’d invest in something by one of those. But as I said before, I usually just buy what I love…”
Tell us
Do you love this house? Tell us what you like about it in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Want more? Take a look at last week’s My Houzz: An Architect’s Downsizer is all in the Detail
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Freddy Grant (pictured), Burton Reynolds, Grungle the jack russell and Totoro, a Maine coon
Where: Footscray, Victoria
Size: 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom
It wasn’t easy for Freddy and Burt to get into the housing market, a feat they only managed after searching for years and living through many disappointing auctions. When they came across this double-fronted home in Footscray they almost didn’t go inside: the agent was late and it was a miserable day. “Thankfully we did, and as soon as we stepped inside we changed our tune,” says Freddy. “We were blown away by the daylight and space, as Melbourne houses are often dark and dingy.”