Home is where the art is

That's Not My Age is delighted to invite you into the lovely home of blog buddy, Semi Expat in Oz. Sarah Stubbs, 51, splits her time between an English country cottage and a modern house in Melbourne, Australia (where her husband currently works) - hence the blog name. As you can see, Sarah is an interiors expert, and has worked in retail for over 25 years. French antiques and vintage homewares are a speciality, the intercontinental home-lover enjoys trawling junk shops and flea markets and is a dab hand at furniture restoration. Vintage finds 'bought at brocantes (markets) in France at the crack of dawn,' are lovingly revitalised and sold at antique fairs around the country.

On the cottage mantlepiece, china tureens and decorative artichokes in pots are a permanent fixture, ' They're faux artichokes - I guess you'd call them fartichokes,' laughs Sarah, 'The line-up changes from season to season. I found the nest on a walk last year, lying in the middle of the lane in perfect condition, as if it had blown down from a tree.'




A rustic wooden table is accessorized with French draining plates and an ornamental dove, the combination of natural materials and charming ceramics giving the cottage a contemporary feel. When asked about the bird theme, Sarah admits, 'I hadn't really thought about it till you mentioned it, but I love bird's nests, maybe because of the life I lead - a few months in Australia and a few here in UK. Maybe I just want to settle or 'nest' in one place or the other!'



Credits:
Antique French table and white china from Fontaine
Decorative bird: Indigo
Nest etching: Fiona Watson