By Words Andrea Jones and Photos Jennifer Soo
The home: A mid-century cottage in Avalon, on Sydney's northern beaches, formerly owned by Archibald Prize-winning artist Arthur Murch.
Who lives here: Matt Ritchie, a builder and designer, his wife Mardi Pannan, a singer-songwriter, and their children Talo, 4, and Cedar, 1.
"The backyard was a jungle of buried car bodies and old sculptures - crazy stuff!" says Matt. "We only finished putting down the turf a few days ago for Talo's birthday party."Credit: Jennifer Soo
What we did: "When we bought the home, the only door was the front door," says Matt. "It was one large room upstairs for painting, and downstairs for sculpture." On the day the couple picked up the keys to their new home, "We sat on the floor wondering, 'What are we going to do?' It was that bad." They sectioned off the top level into two bedrooms and an L-shaped living and dining space, while downstairs became a second living room with a bedroom and laundry.
Favourite room: "A toss-up between the living room and the kitchen," says Mardi. "When friends come round, we always seem to spend time in the kitchen."
The 'hood: "I've been coming up here my whole life to surf," says Matt. "We enjoy being surrounded by water and it's like a country town."
Future plans: "We plan to put a deck on the back. But for now, I just want to sit on the lounge and look out at the birds!" says Mardi.
Best advice: "Consult a good builder who understands costs and can be practical."
- Sunday Life