IMAGES: Atelier Photography
Tell us about how the design and history of your home?
L: The house is the middle terrace of four near-identical homes completed in 2014 by GR Homes. We liked the fact this one was in a great location near the lake, and that we could be creative by adapting its layout and style to suit our requirements.
P: We amended almost every aspect to its initial design to allow for better flow and extra light, as it is sandwiched between two other homes and has no side windows. For example we removed the wall above the staircase and changed the direction that the front door opened. We also added more storage cupboards in the kitchen, and bespoke quality finishes such as the sleek kitchen cabinets and Caesarstone benchtops.
Who lives in your home?
L: I’m Lee Seaman, a freelance stylist specialising in children’s products and lifestyle photography with a background in graphic design, and I run my own business, You Give Me Grace. I live with Peter Seaman, my husband who’s a Business Analyst at NIB, and our beautiful daughter Grace who is nearly three-years-old.
The modest size of your home was important to you; can you tell us why?
P: We both care a lot about the environment and while we did consider buying a big property on land like many of our friends were doing, we thought about what we wanted for the future. The conclusion we reached was that we wanted a practical modest-sized home in a good location that we wouldn’t be tempted to overfill with junk!
I think that home owners can become obsessed by consuming ‘stuff’ in order to fill every little space in their house, so by keeping our home petite, but being clever with storage and flow, we hope to be happy and comfortable here for many years to come.
L: The other benefit of buying a small home is being able to afford to be closer to the parks, shops and cafes of Warners Bay. We can walk everywhere with Grace, which is wonderful.
I also love our low maintenance and completely paved backyard, giving us more dedicated family time.
How would you describe your personal style?
L: I used to always love black and white, so everything in the house was initially styled in a monochrome palette. It sounds clichéd but when Grace came into the world, she also brought more colour and playfulness to my style, which you can see around the house, particularly of course in her bedroom and now also in my work! I am now very lucky to work with some amazing brands such as, Mustard Made, Rachel Castle, Baby Donkie and The Gathered Store that allow me to further explore my style and love of colour.
What do you love most about your home?
P: I love that it is a practical size to keep tidy and clean and as it is new it is also very low maintenance. We had it insulated and sound proofed when built, so I also love that it is super quiet!
L: I love the flow of our home and I also love its location in Warner’s Bay. My favourite room is Grace’s beautiful bedroom with its bright, sweet colour scheme and decor. It is also the room that got me started working as a children’s product stylist so it means a lot to me personally.
Finally, can you tell us a little about how you both met?
L: We met through mutual friends in 2007. I was working as a graphic designer after finishing my studies at TAFE, and Peter was then at university studying Information Technology. Peter is originally from Orange and I am from the Central Coast, but our studies and work united us in Newcastle and we both love living and raising our daughter here in this beautiful part of the world.
