Adelaide-based illustrator and painter Billie Justice Thomson has worked with big-name brands Qantas, Gourmet Traveller, Frankie Magazine and Gorman, just to name a few.
Her work has featured in art galleries across Australia and in many shopfronts throughout Melbourne.
But her latest project is the one that hits close to home. Like, you couldn’t really get much closer.
Billie, partner Ryan and their four-year-old son recently restored a 1880s bluestone villa in Norwood that hadn’t been touched for 35 years.
It needed work, but in her 2019 exhibition Big Show, Billie set out to give “overlooked objects personality and a new life” – and that’s exactly what she’s done in this renovation.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It was the perfect project for me, really,” Billie tells us.
The couple bought their first home at their first-ever auction and always had plans to renovate the house, which had been in the same family for 35 years, immediately.
“I went absolutely wild in the first six weeks and got as much as I physically could get done because I knew it would be much more difficult once we were in,” Billie says of the period before they began living and renovating under the same roof.
There have been no major structural changes – not yet anyway – but the house has been brought back to life. The kitchen and bathroom were ripped out, doors changed, built-in wardrobes added and plenty of work done to the front and back gardens.
And, as you would expect, the paint brush – albeit it of another kind – has got a workout.
"I probably have an advantage of knowing how paint moves and being able to confidently operate a brush but this didn’t mean I enjoyed it one bit," she laughs.
"Thank goodness for friends and family helping out."
It’s not just the painting, either, Billie has done most of the work herself. A semi-retired builder has been there to lend a hand, but being so hands-on has been the most rewarding part.
“I’ve enjoyed every single bit, I have loved it and found it even more rewarding than I imagined it would be,” Billie explains.
“I’ve done 95% of the leg work. Saved money wherever I could by doing whatever I’m physically capable of doing, which was more than I thought it would be.”
“I’ve learnt so much, being a part of it has made it so satisfying.”
No walls have come down, no floors have come up, there was no huge budget and, as Billie clearly explains, definitely no spreadsheets.
This is a story of how you can turn an old house into your new home with colour, fun, paint, carefully chosen joinery, a bit of hard work and using what is already there.
“Having white walls, it’s like a mini gallery,” Billie says.
“I am pretty arts-focused in my decorating style but I have let the house dictate the style, I’ve really let the bones of the house be my guide.”
Artwork hangs on those walls and pops up in various other places of the home, bringing fun and character to every space it appears in.
It’s also a story of how an idea can blossom into something unexpected – like much of her work.
Billie didn’t start the process with a definitive style, but that’s starting to change.
“In the past few months, I have kind of had a bit of a vision of my house being semi Grecian – like a Grecian beach house,” she says.
“That’s accidently what I have done but now I’m leaning into it.”
Grecian?
If you’ve ever been to Greece, you'll know white textured walls and facades are everywhere.
Billie and Ryan’s bathroom gives off a similar vibe. And those gold taps would suit the home of a Greek god.
“I’ve always dreamed about owning a beach house and that’s where people take more risks, in terms of their design choice, because it’s not your daily residence,” Billie adds.
“But I kind of flipped that on its head and I was like maybe I can live in something that reminded me of a beach house and that was a bit more relaxed and a bit less formal.”
The family might be in a proper beach house of their own one day with plans to take on a bigger project down the track. But, for now, there’s still plenty of work to do at home.
“After the kitchen, I’m going to have a little break and then I’m just going to enjoy the house for a while because it will be much more comfortable," Billie says.
“Then probably in five years’ time, we might smash the whole back of the house down and put on another story.”
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BILLIE AND RYAN'S PLACE
Built: 1880
Land: 240m2
Bed: 2
Bath: 1
WHAT THEIR PLACE TAUGHT THEM
You can do more than you think
I learnt that I am much more capable than I thought I was. I just gave everything a go and asked for help and watched youtube videos along the way and it was very rewarding.
How to use of what is already there
I also think I learned to follow the lead and style of the house. I took cues from what was already there and took the elements I love, like the stucco walls and old timber window frames, and made them a feature as opposed to trying to introduce too many new materials or styles.
Scroll through to see what their place looked like before