My lovely Instagram friend is an Aussie woman of middle years who is surprisingly comfortable with getting older. She lives in a large rural town in Southern Victoria, Australia. She’s worked many jobs over the years, including record shop retail, chef, and for the last decade, teacher’s assistant in a secondary school.
She has one child, her beautiful 26-year-old daughter Jacqueline. She met her partner Matt 17 years ago in a small country town pub. He’s a passionate mathematics teacher & the reason she now works in a school too. It’s incredibly fulfilling working & interacting with teenagers. They’re brutally honest & great fun.
Lee was one of those kids that got caught up in all the little details and would spend many happy hours rearranging her knick-knacks. Decades later & she still loves it. Everything is placed just so & if something’s moved, she always notices much to her friends’ hilarity.
She has always had a love of thrifting & vintage & fondly remember thrifting with her Mum. Lee’s maternal grandparents had a gorgeous home, full of midcentury furniture & pieces collected on their many travels. They’ve been a huge influence on her personal style.
For about 10 years, she lived in and owned her paternal grandparents home and had it fully decked out retro. She still misses that at home. She discovered the world of Instagram interiors about 5 years ago & they purchased their current home not long after.
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She remembers being completely blown away by the accounts she found on Insta and knew she’d found her tribe. People that loved decorating their homes as much as she did. She decided to chronicle her journey of styling up their new home, and @whatever_happened_to_miss_wolf came into being.
Can you remember your first design project in your home?
Lee: The large living area/dining room was the first project I tackled in this house. It was such a large space & it initially intimidated me. I decided I needed to break the area up into smaller areas. Create an intimate lounge area within the larger space. The best way to do this is with rugs. After much hunting, I found my big Turkish rug and blue velvet sofa…it all flowed from there.
What is your favourite Instagram page on design?
Lee: Ooh, there’s so many! The druglord chic of @arianna_danielson. The 80’s aesthetic of @candycoloredhome. The dramatic styling of @thegladstay and @atlantishome.
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What inspires you?
Lee: The rich beauty & intricacy of a handcrafted cultural textile or rug. The years of knowledge & skill that go into each piece. One of my life’s great pleasures has been slowly gathering a collection of pieces from Mexico, Guatemala, Thailand, Morocco, Turkey, Ghana, The Congo & India.
I also love the thrift hunt. You never know what you’ll find & you have to keep an open mind. It’s usually something unexpected that catches my eye & sparks inspiration.
What’s the favourite part of your home?
Lee: Most definitely, my living area. It’s the area that gets used the most. I love sitting on the sofa, reading a book while listening to vinyl. The light is fantastic in the living area, and it has such a relaxing atmosphere.
Can you describe your style?
Lee: Hmmm, I’ve always struggled with classifying my style. But here goes nothing, haha…I’m a colourful, eclectic, vintage maximalist.
How does your family relate to your passion for design? Do they support it?
Lee: My daughter is a huge supporter of my passion. She’s super proud of me and loves sharing my Insta account with people she meets. Dad is a man of few words, but he’s quietly proud of me. Everyone else couldn’t care less, I think! Matt is not remotely interested. My Mum is a minimalist; do I need to say more?!
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I know you are a colour lover, but what’s your favourite?
Lee: Emerald green & teal are delicious!
What was your design faux pas you did?
Lee: Honestly, there’s been so many! I have bedside tables that are too low. Curtains that aren’t long enough. Clashing colours & patterns. Furniture of vastly different styles & eras. It’s all a bit of a design faux pas, constant trial & error. And when you’re on a tight budget & a thrifter, you make do. Design rules are damned.
Do you have a favourite designer ( or more)?
Lee: Besides the Instagram accounts I mentioned earlier, I’m a massive fan of @eviekemp. Evie is a designer from New Zealand & a master of maximalist colour & pattern design. My numero uno inspiration!
Is there any design style you don’t like and why?
Lee: Farmhouse style is a big No from me. White on white, cream on cream any style, but particularly boho, just leaves me cold! Where’s the flavour?! Where’s the personality?! It’s all the same, same & bores me stupid!
A huge thank you to Lee for this interview. I’m so happy that I met many talented, strong, gorgeous women during my Instagram journey. It’s not only about followers, numbers but the people who we meet and like. We may live a thousand miles away from each other, on the other side of the planet, but we are friends who support each other. 💖
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What’s your favourite design style? Tell me in the comment below!
Love,
Noemi xxx
Don’t forget to follow @noemionebohostreet on Instagram for your daily boho vibes and inspiration.
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