'My Nest' .... Erin Ashleigh

This fortnights 'my nest' is the home of Erin Ashleigh. This beautiful bohemian home caught my eye a couple of months ago and I have wanted to live in Erins beautiful Instagram feed ever since... Enjoy!

Who lives in the house? 

Erin-24, Kody-25, and our five month old daughter, Willow. Also our cat Cleo and a roly-poly bulldog named Baba!

Where is your home?

Our current home is in Perth, the capital city of West Australia. Both Kody and I grew up in small beachside towns amongst nature and we both want to get back to the quietness and stillness of this as soon as possible. However we are making the most of living here for now before we set off travelling, and luckily Perth is quite a beautiful, nature based city. We are also just 15 minutes from Fremantle, which is a dream for anyone who likes art, music, organic food and vegan cafes!

What attracted you to your home?

Ohhh, everything! It is a beautiful old cottage which has not been renovated into a shiny modern box like so many (sadly) have in this area. Dark, creaky original wooden floorboards, detailed ornate ceilings, an old kitchen, beautiful windows and lots of incredible natural light. The windows throw rainbows all over the walls at a certain time in the morning , which is so magical! There is just a general good vibe about it, I feel as though a lot of happy people have lived here in the years before us. 

How long have you lived there/ will you live there?

We have lived here for ten months and we will be leaving in a month or so. When we found out that I was carrying Willow, we did the exact opposite of what most couples would do - instead of settling down, we sold our previous house, and decided to rent for a year while we were deciding what to do/where we would base ourselves. Since then, we have bought a gorgeous old caravan and have decided to travel around Australia as a family. We just really want Willow's life to be rich with experiences, fun, and constant love from both of us.. So travelling around in our little portable home visiting national parks, forests, waterfalls and all the beauty that our home country has to offer, with our daughter, is our dream come true! I am currently on the hunt for a house for us to live in for the next year, with a driveway so that we can park and renovate our little old caravan before we leave. Unfortunately our current home doesn't have any room for him, otherwise we would stay here until we set off on our adventures. I will be so sad to leave this home , it is where we truly came together as a family, there is so much love between these walls.

What are your favorite and most treasured items?

All of my plants and crystals would have to be up there, they are like babies to me, haha! I also have some beautiful vintage kantha quilts which I will treasure forever. A little wooden carving of an elephant which I bought while in the U.S a few years ago. I have also received two beautiful dream catchers recently from soul sisters of mine , they are so special. 

Which is your favorite Room in the house?

My favourite room in is by far the kitchen. It truly is the centre of our home. I love spending time in here, amongst all of my herbs and spices and random witchy potions that I usually have brewing on the bench. Willow naps at about 1oclock in the afternoon everyday, this coincides with the time that the sun starts streaming through the kitchen window.. So I sit in here and bathe in it, diffuse essential oils, read books and just breathe - it is bliss.

Where do you buy most of your furnishings ?

Our furniture is mostly a mish-mash of op shop/ second hand store finds, roadside pickup (We have scored some gems that other people have thrown out), and items that we have bought second hand on Gumtree. Our giant couch is just from Ikea, and I love it, but I am finding it more important as the years go on to only buy pre loved furniture. There is too much plastic-y , cheaply manufactured furniture in the world - it is all being used for a few years and then going straight to landfill. This is a huge problem and I think that we all need to be making conscious decisions in every aspect of our lives to take care of Mother Earth! Sure, you can't walk into an op shop and find something you love instantly, pop it on the credit card and have it delivered to your home that afternoon.. but the amazing, one off pieces that you find are worth it! It took me a few months to manifest our coffee table, but it is a beautiful, handmade wooden piece, and it is one of my favourite pieces of furniture.

How would you describe your style?

Hmmmm… That is a tricky one, I'm really not sure!  I just like a lot of intricate patterns, natural textures like wood and ceramics, and lots of greenery. I don't know where that falls in on the style scales! It's a bit of a jumble really.

What or who inspires your home style and decision making when buying a new piece? 

Something that I have been conscious of lately, being someone who is in love with ethnic and tribal style prints , is making sure that the profits of what I am buying are benefiting the people who are creating the items. Because the "bohemian" style is so in vogue right now, I think a lot of larger homewares companies are taking advantage of this, making profits from patterns and styles that are traditional & sacred to certain people, and mass producing them. I would LOVE to see more online stores opened where the profits go directly to the communities who are hand crafting items :) So this is something that I try to have in mind when making decisions! 

-->

 What and Where would be your dream home?

I have been dreaming about building an Earthship! Or a tree house built with reclaimed timber and recycled building materials, that would be a dream.  Kody and I visited a giant salvage yard last year and the things that we found were unbelievable - stained glass windows, beautiful doors, claw foot bath tubs. As for location, anywhere lush, green and abundant with life makes me happy. Northern NSW is incredibly beautiful, and I feel so at home there, but I'm sure while we are travelling somewhere will touch our heart and we will want to settle for a while. 

What was the last item you brought?

I found a beautiful print of Manasa, the Hindu goddess of snakes, at a market a few weeks ago, and she had to come home with me. And a flower of life print, because I am thoroughly obsessed with sacred geometry!

A massive thank you to Erin for letting me share these photos and taking time out to answer the Interview questions

xx Gabi xx
To see more of Erins beautiful home visit her instagram feed at.... @erinashleighh
To view more house tours from the 'My Nest' feature visit here 
Have or know of a home that you think we would enjoy please hashtag moontomoon xx