At home with Hunting for George co-founder Lucy Glade-Wright

She is the woman behind one of Australia’s most popular online destinations for homewares, so naturally, there’s an expectation her home will look like something straight out of a home and lifestyle magazine.

And let me assure you – you won’t be disappointed, particularly when I tell you it’s a rental too!!

Today, we’re going inside the home of Lucy Glade-Wright, who launched Hunting for George with her sister Jo Harris in 2010. As the ladies say:

With a small selection of products (just three brands under our arm) we opened, and declared ourselves business women.

Fast forward to 2017, and Lucy and Jo now have their own furniture lines, a pop up experience store at Highpoint Shopping Centre here in Melbourne (we covered it here!), and a fast-growing team who are helping them chase their vision of an online store that delivers on quality, service and style.

So without further ado, let’s look inside the home of Lucy (who lives with partner Jonno Rodd, the Hunting for George Marketing Manager / ‘Hype Man’) and hear her top tips for creating the same laid back vibe, specifically for renters…

Tell us what you love about your home?

Our building is art deco and it has a wonderful nostalgic feel to it with intricate details throughout which I love. Also the position is incredible, we are a short walk from St Kilda and Elwood beach which comes in handy over Summer.

What are your favourite areas or features?

My favourite feature in my home are the beautiful arch windows in the living room, they allow in the most beautiful afternoon light and keep my plants nice and happy. I also love hanging out in the living room, it’s definitely my favourite room in the house.

How would you describe your own style when it comes to interiors?

I’d say my style is relaxed, practical and nostalgic. I’m very lucky in that I am surrounded by beautiful products all day everyday, so I have plenty of inspiration.

Ultimately though, I like to choose pieces for my home that make me happy and I’m not too fussed about trends.

Apart from Hunting for George (of course!), where do you love to get homewares or furniture from?

One of my all-time favourite Homeware destinations is Merci, however as it’s in Paris it’s a bit hard to get to. I adore Tait and Jardan, their collections are just incredible especially Tait’s latest Trace Collection together with Adam Goodrum. A few of our other favourites are Dowel Jones, Anchor Ceramics, Modern Times and Grazia & Co.

Your home is beautifully relaxed and inviting – how can others achieve this vibe?

I tend to select neutral tones first to fill the space, that way I can create a natural and simple platform in which to build colour and texture on top. I gravitate towards blues and soft natural colours. If I want to go bold I generally do that with artwork. In terms of decor, I have collected a lot of items over time and this gives my style it’s nostalgic, personal feel.

When styling don’t try too hard, I’m not a fan of homes that feel as though you’ve just walked into a display suite, the more personality you give your home the better. Also another big part of my style are my indoor plants, I love them, so fill your home with greenery for an inviting look.

Tell us your top three tips for renters to make their rental feel more like their own?

Change the lighting. When we moved in, the lights were the same age as the apartment and looked pretty drab. As soon as we updated these it lifted the entire look of our home and really helped to modernise the space.
New coat of paint. Since moving in we’ve painted the kitchen, both bedrooms and sunroom. It’s made a huge difference. Not everyone is willing to invest this in a rental but we think it’s important to treat your rental as you would your home. I think the rental climate in Australia is worlds away from the likes of Europe, but with house pricing getting more expensive, it’s important for people to embrace rentals as their own home. (Although it’s always important to have respect for the owner by improving aesthetics, rather than completely changing them.)
You can’t do much about the flooring, so choose a rug you love. The floor is the one thing you can’t really touch so we’ve updated ours with rugs in most rooms.

A big thanks to Lucy for answering my burning questions – now, let’s take a look insider her home!