Home Stories: Antony Arena

Posted on 27 October, 2018

I’ve actually been driving past Antony’s place in Turner almost every day for a number of years.

I’d always noticed the cute white cottage, surrounded by an oh-so-wholesome matching white picket fence. It sits quaintly on a long street, juxtaposed between some pretty fancy-schmancy houses that command attention based on their grandeur.

On the way to Antony’s place, the skies opened up and massive amounts of rain came down. I pulled into the driveway and while dashing towards a small entryway, I waved to the next-door neighbour who was hastily gathering up animals from the front garden (perhaps he was planning to build an ark?).

I was greeted by Cass, our photographer, who swung open the front door for me while yelling, “Hurry up before you ruin your beautiful hairdo!”. Perhaps she was paying me out …but who cares? She’s probably jealous of my volume and—either way—I was safe from the deluge. Antony’s house, which he shares with his wife Jess and three kids, is an illusion. You know, a bit like a Tardis (come on, even if you couldn’t care less for Dr Who, I’m sure you know the expression). While seemingly sweet and quaint when viewed from the exterior, it’s really all a disguise for the amazing space inside.

Antony and Jess purchased the house around four years ago when it was a tiny cottage that finished about three steps from the front door. I’m not sure how old the original place was, but clearly size was not a ‘thing’ in those days. Either that or everybody was as small as me.

They used the existing rooms to their best potential, turning one into a bedroom for the kids, the living into an English-style retreat, and turning the kitchen into, well, a walkway. The rest is all brand new, at least in spirit if not in actuality (probably like half my jokes in this Home Stories series).

Jess and Antony wanted to make sure that they paid homage to the original design and took great lengths to extend the classic features like the single-glazed sash windows, classic wooden light switches and stunning multi-toned green tiles throughout the house.

They ensured that the rendering was done so you could still see where the original walls were to remind you of the home’s history. They even recruited the only guy in Canberra who makes those curved ceilings that morph into the cornices. That dedication to celebrating the past is the main component in uniting the slightly rustic, provincial feel of the home.

From looking at the photos, you’ve probably noticed the central spot of the house is the dining room. It features a grand table surrounded by windows on one side, a modern kitchen on the other and a high almost cathedral-like ceiling above. This was all on purpose as Jess and Antony are all about the family sharing food in a space that makes it a heightened, rather than mundane experience.

“You can’t see the TV from here either,” said Antony. “The time we come together is about us, not the TV. When we want to relax over a movie, some books or while someone is playing the piano, we move down the steps, light a fire and enjoy.”

That kind of family discipline makes a lot of sense when it comes to Antony and Jess, after all, they manage to fit so much into their lives. They literally are the type of ‘doers’ I get inspired by. Jess is a hospitality consultant and flips homes with Antony while raising three kids.

Antony owns more bars then I own scotch glasses and also manages digital agency UnBound.

Antony was reluctant about me banging on about this, but I really wanted to mention it as I thought their home was such a nice reflection of their lives. The humility is a disguise for their accomplishments. I don’t think I’d have that kind of class, as soon as I become really successful, I’m sure I’m going to stick a large marble statue of myself on the front…and it’s going to have great, voluminous hair.