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! 
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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!
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
