In Part 2 of this episode of The Edit with Deborah Hutton, Elle Lovelock gets into the personal stories and design details that didn’t make it into Part 1 - and there are plenty of both.
Deb shares the story behind two significant skin cancer surgeries and how a viral post and a hat company email led to the creation of Canopy Bay, her sun protection hat range.
She also reflects on a career that took her from modeling at 16, through 14 years as the face of Qantas and a dance with John Travolta, to editing magazines and hosting some of Australia's biggest TV shows.
And then it's back to the build, and the design decisions that are making her South Coast home unlike anything she's done before.
This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation with Deborah Hutton.
This episode covers:
- Deborah Hutton’s skin cancer story and why early detection matters
- How a viral post and a hat company email sparked Canopy Bay
- UPF 50+ sun protection and why not all hats are equal
- The get-your-skin-checked message Deb is passionate about
- A career from modeling at 16 to Qantas, Travolta and TV
- What Deb has up her sleeve after the build is done
- The mystery drawer moment
- Moving away from white: the design evolution from Bronte to the South Coast
- The powder room that started it all: eurowalls mural, rattan vanity and a hundi light
- Taj Mahal q
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is an our media podcast. Powder room is one
of those rooms that you can have so much fun
with because it's a small room exactly. Everyone's going to
visit and then they're going to come out and you
and you generally want someone to go wow, you know,
and you go. You know. It's kind of those when
(00:24):
you go to hotels or you go to you have
experiences and you go, God, have you seen go and
just go and see. Go to the toilet, go to
the powder got to go to.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
The toilet, and it can be wow because you're not
in there for hours.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Exactly, and it's not like you ever going to get
sick of it.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, we are back with part two of my chat
with Deb Hutton. If you're rejoining us after listening to
part one, welcome back, and if you haven't already listened
to part one, scroll back up in your feed, listen
to part one, and then join me back here again.
Dep has done everything from modeling to hosting TV shows
(01:02):
to editing magazines. I just had to ask her about
the most spectacular things she's done, plus why she wants
guests to go wow when they visit her bathroom. Here's
Deb I would like to know more about Canopy Bay.
You were talking about it earlier, but for any of
(01:22):
our listeners who aren't aware, or the lady you bumped
into in.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
At the reception, I said, I had a clothing line. No,
it's a hatline, and it's called Caramel. No, it's called
Canopy Bay. But thank you for taking notice. So well,
it's interesting. I had a pretty massive skin cancer got
a big long time ago now, which was infiltrating BCC
that was just sitting under my nose on my right
(01:49):
hand side of my face, and it was a pretty
significant consurgery. This is probably fifteen years ago something like that. Anyway,
did it? He got on with live television, you know
that kind of stuff, kept life kept going. And then
just before we locked down and COVID, my dorm was
(02:11):
keeping eye on something and she said, I'm not sure
about that. So I went to see my surgeon because
he was always checking on me, and he said, this
has got to come out. Now. We're going about to
do two biopsies today, and I went, what do you
mean two? Because I could just see there was one.
And they did the biopsy and he rang me and
I didn't want to go in for surgery and he said, look,
all the pathologists are about to pack up and go
(02:31):
because we're going into lockdown. So if you don't do
something now, you know it's not good. Oh shit. So
went in and we had a surgery and again it
was almost identical size.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And what did it look like?
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh it was tiny little red dot and the other
one was invisible. There was two and one I couldn't
even see and tiny little red dot. Anyway, so I
have a scar that goes from my nose down on
my chin, and it was another flap surgery that was
in the exact same place. And just as a matter
of interest, what cancer cells do. It's not that they
didn't get it the margins the first time, but there's
(03:08):
a weakness in the skin. Then the cancer tends to
target at the weakness, which is why it came back
in the exact same spot. So anyway, I go in
and I have this surgery and I'm you know, I'm
kind of I'm home, and I you know, I'm kind
of going a couple I'm doing this again, and I've
thought it was wadding on my face. I go in
five days later and they removed the stitches and I said,
before the girl removed this. I said, how many stitches
(03:31):
are there? Because I wasn't going to look, and she's
a little too many to count, and I go shit,
So I said, please take a photo. So she took
a photo. And then I got home and I'm, you know,
sitting on the couch. She's feeling a little sorry for
myself with a very large Gin and Tonic and I'm
sitting there and I look at this, but I go,
Jesus Christ, that's brutal. And I posted it and I said,
(03:53):
I didn't even remember what I said. I basically that
this is just a reminder that if you don't get
your skin checked, it could be this or a lot
or something along those lines. So next thing you know,
it pops up on Channel nine and there's Peter Overton
going oh and Debora Hutton's Scott, you know, skin cancer,
and it just it went viral and then one thing
(04:14):
led to another, is on a current affair and up
doing a cover for the Weekly blah blah blah. So
it was was amazing it got out there was actually
very powerful. I got a lot of messages and one
of those messages was an email from a company, a
hat company, and I'll never forget it, said Deb. I
don't know if you realize that the hats that you
(04:35):
have been wearing are probably not giving you any sun
protection really right? And I was like that's what I
was like, like what, that doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I think it's a hat.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
You think a hat is a hat, And basically it
was giving me shade but no sun protection because the
uv ras can pass through so many different types of fabrications,
and if there's holes in a hat and it looks divine,
you go to Greece and you pay two dollars at
the wharf and you wear these things and they're doing
nothing but basically shading you, but you're still getting uv race.
So I had a meeting with these guys because I
(05:05):
was just like what and we spoken. I was I
went through the whole process and this particular fabrication called
Flexi braid, and they said, how would you feel about
bringing out a range and designing a range of hats,
And I went, yeah, I think that's a great idea.
So Canopy Bay was born. When we're in lockdown, we'd
actually we got onto it straight away and we launched. Yeah,
(05:28):
when when the shops weren't open and stuff and it's
been so there. They are UPF fifty plus sun protection hats.
They are fully graded hats that that sun can't get
through it when they flat pack, and they're they're a
great range. And I and I just I love designing,
so I weren't a sixth range, but it's just something
(05:50):
because I just I'm in love wearing hats anyway. But
these are really practical, Like you, they can get wet,
you can flat pack them when you going to Europe,
you're gonna sit in the sun. You know. They kind
of got a band, which means if it's windy, you
can tip in the band. They're not going to fall off.
They kind of got they're really practical and durable hats.
And a friend of mine we had to come up
(06:10):
with a name. And a friend of mine who wrote
my very first Grace Brother's commercial in nineteen eighty four,
who's still a very very dear friend. I rang him
one day and I said, I got to name these hats.
I don't know what to call him. He's getting on
a plane to Melbourne. He said what, And I said, well,
it's his hat and I need to name them. And
I don't want to call him. And then he said,
I'll give me an now, So he gets off in
Melbourne basically sends me like fifteen names with his hats. Yeah,
and can it be basing the right one? So that
(06:32):
was it.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's simple.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
That was it. So Canopy Bay was launched. Yeah, oh
my gosh. Yeah, it's a joy project because it allows
me to talk about the dangers of the sun. It
allows me to remind people to get the skin checked.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
I think when you get to a certain stage in life,
which is where I am up basically retired from television
and magazines and all that, but I have a platform
and a following that it gives me a purpose to
actually talk about something that's actually quite important. Yeah, rather
than a bit of fluff. It's about you know, what
I'm eating or whatever. You know, it's kind of it's
I'm happy to include that too, but or paint colors.
(07:10):
But it actually does give me, It gives me, gives
me purpose around that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
So absolutely, do people write to you, Yes, yes they
do wearing the hats and.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Know they write to me about thank you for reminding me,
because this is what's happened to me. This is what's
happened to my friend? My friend had this. A lot
of people will contact me and say what kind of
cream did you use to heal the scar? People friends
that I know and other people's contact me and say,
who's a surgeon you use? Because they did a great job.
So I'm sort of become the sort of a go
to for which is which is great?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
What is the most important messaging that you want people
to hear?
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Look? The most important thing? We can also here and
go slip slop slap. The most important thing is to
get your skin checked because if the damage isn't be done,
you can stop it from happening. Fantastic, even if you're
getting sort of you know later on in life after
you think, I'll bugger it, it's all done already, live
your life if you want to, but you get your
bloody skin checked. Just go and get it checked. Because
(08:08):
early detection is absolutely everything.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And like you said, one was a red dot, one
was invisible. How would we know?
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah, we don't know. We don't know. When we think
we know, I think, then it becomes you become a
bit paranoid. Then once you've had a few, which I have,
which is good, paranoise. It's a good thing. Do that.
So when was the last time you had just kin checked.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, it's been a few years. I'm suah really and
I am a pale, pale gown.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
You are a pale You got beautiful skin. Yeah you
should do.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You don't see a lot of sunlight. No, but still
that shouldn't be a reason for me to feel safe
about it.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
No, absolutely not, No, absolutely not. And also, you know,
I'm sort of deficient in vitamin D. That's the other
thing is just stay out of it, and that's not
good for you. So my doctor said years ago, she said, okay,
so sun get up in the morning. Yeah, and just
get out there before ten. And if you want to
get out there after three, but in the middle your bar,
don't go there. So that way you can get a
bit of Yeah. Okay, I thought that that was practical advice.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
We do like it to practical advice. You would have
heard and shared a lot of practical advice over the
years because you have done everything from age sixteen you
started modeling, through to magazines, editing through to TV presenting.
(09:25):
What are some of the most spectacular things that you
have done or what are some of the most boring
jobs that you've had in all about.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Oh, I don't know. Spectacular is a hard thing to say.
You know, I look and I think I'm very fortunate.
I've been sort of the right face at the right time,
you know what I mean. It's just been it's been
a joy and I've been and I look back now
at the industry that you're in that I used to
be in, and how significantly it's changed, saying with television
(09:56):
and free to wear, and so I look back at
it as a as a as a beautiful kind of a
few decades of the joy of all those things where
there was budgets and there was invested people and life
is pretty simple. And so I've done some pretty cool
things with some pretty cool people, and I've loved I've
absolutely loved every minute of it. And then I just go, Wow,
(10:19):
it's just really comfortall circle where I'm just going, I'm
really happy. I'm just so blessed to have that. And
there was nothing boring. There's nothing really boring. It might
be some of you know, some MC thing. I was going,
I'm go, I wait to get out there here. I
can't get a laugh out of this lot, you know,
clearly you need to drink more. But so, but yeah,
(10:39):
there's been some really cool things. I mean I did
some great things. I was with Quantus for fourteen years.
It was a face of Quantas for fourteen years. So
did some really cool things. Hung out with John Travold,
had to dance with him. You know. I had a
movie show on Fox Tell, so I used to interview
all the big stars when they came out. But I
you know, but they're just moments and they just they
and then they don't exist, and then you go, Okay,
(11:00):
I just enjoyed life for what it gave me that day.
You know, it really really was. It really was that.
And you know people are saying, now, well, what are
you going to do next year when the house is finished?
I'm like, sleep, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I have a rest at the ocean.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, a few things. I got a few things up
my sleeve. You know that might be in the kind
of it might be in the interior space or in
terms of products and stuff like that, or if.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You need anything promoted. I know people that you do.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
And then I've been asked many times to sort of
write a bit of a book. And I don't know
if I do that. I think, if anything, I would
write something that would just be for me or my nephews,
and I don't without any any thinking i'd get it published.
But I think it'd be kind of because I had
a bit of a crazy life. It's been a bit crazy.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I do like that idea, and I've been looking.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
At nothing normal about my life.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
No, I'm picking that up. Would you write it yourself
because or would you use one of those promittings?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think I would tell it. I think my years
of working in publications and publishing was I probably would
have made a very good sub editor because I'm very
good at spotting at spelling mistake or you know grammar
that's Incoorage, which these days it's just everywhere the front
page of the Australian and you're like what, And so
(12:22):
I think I would be held up by doing that.
Whereas I'm better at telling a story, I'm better at
sitting here and talking to you and telling a story.
So if I was to write it, would I would
just be telling stories and capturing that essence rather than
sitting there and going, well, you know, I missed that letter,
And because that would just be the like road rocks everywhere.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So is there anything you think your nephews would be
surprised to read about?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Oh my god, I don't know if i'd actually I
think i'd hate to recall some of the things from
Edward here. It's really funny when I think about some
of the things, like, oh, I could say that, you know,
do I then talk about somebody else? But it is
actually me and it's my story, and yeah, you know
there's a yeah, I'm sor. I was pretty wild years ago.
(13:03):
I was stoned for about ten years and then my seriously,
I lived alive. I left him at sixteen and met
a guy and just started to just smoke dope and
I went, this is good. And then I used to modeling.
I turn off and they go, when you smiled it,
could you open up your eyes a bit more?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
You're kidding.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think that was a Walton sad.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Fast.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I was been born with modeling. I don't had enough.
After six years, I'm like, I can't do this anymore.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
So what what did you quit doing?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
The smoking? My game? I gave up the husband and
the dope all at one because that was it, left
my marriage and just put out my last my last joint.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
That was it next face of life ready to begin?
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Literally, that's exactly right. It's so funny.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Do you have any vices now?
Speaker 1 (14:00):
No? No, I mean I love a drink with my friends.
I go out with the beautiful man who doesn't drink.
So that kind of keeps me on the straight until
I get to the weekend. It goes to the narrow
and then it comes back on the straight, and then
it goes to the narrow. So but no, they're my
only they're my only vices. You know, I've kind of
been there and done it all, and I just part
(14:21):
of moving out of the city was also the energy.
And there's a bit of an energy in the eastern
suburbs which gets a little bit and so it's like
I kind of I like being in a really very simple,
close community that's really grounded and just very very basic.
My favorite place to hang out as the Cold l RSL.
I love it. It's run by volunteers, good old Liz
(14:44):
and Joan and you know they're there and they you know,
how do you make a gin and tonic again? Love?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Oh yeah, that's right, you know your order the gt.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Love nine Bucks. It's bark as good for come a
member get dealt. Yeah, everyone, you've got to come down
the cold hour. That's awesome. We'll see the trivia night.
Love a trivia and iye, I never get anything right,
but anyway, that's half of fun, just being.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
There coming up. But Deb's mystery draw moment, and it's
honestly one of the most charming things we have ever
seen pulled out of a handbag. You had a rummage
in your handbag earlier, because quite often our guests bring
an item from their mystery drawer.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Okay, is a bit of a mystery. It's kind of
like a pouch in there that gets moved from handbag
to handbag and I go, what the hell is in here?
So when you put it on me I did, I went, oh, yep,
this comes with me everything. I'm very handy. What is it?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I can't wait to find out.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
My tape measure?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Now there's some asmr.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Isn't it?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
And it does cent inches perfect? I know, the most
joyful tape measure I've ever seen. How would you describe
that for our listeners who want.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Very It's a very very happy It reminds me of
Forest Gump when he had that T shirt on, you know,
the happy T shirt with the two eyes and the
big smile. So it's a it's a cute little yellow
box with this little weird kind of orange fluffy hair.
And that's what the that is what tis attached to.
(16:33):
And look, it doesn't go that far. It's not quite
at the length of the shower of the steam shirt.
What am I? God, here I've got I've got it's
fifty four inches, so it's one hundred and thirty's one
hundred and four one point four okay, one point four.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Well that's not I think anyone who's building a house
or decorating you need to carry a tape measure with you.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
You do. I've got one in the car. I've got
one to like reading glasses, I do. I have them everywhere. Yeah,
the antape measures are everywhere. But this is the cutest
little thing and it just s's in my leg.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It's so cute. I absolutely love it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, it doesn't have a name, but that's just I
should call it forest.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Actually perfect forest, the happy tape measure. I'd love to
hear more about. You're talking about the evolution from the
Bronze House, which was white and the Princess House through
to your south coast home, which is textural and color.
Let's get into the details. Tell us about how did
(17:34):
you move away from white. Was it something that felt
natural or did you just go I need to change.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I think I think once you've experienced something, it's very
hard to go back and try and recreate something. And
you can say with anything, say with a party or
or a trip overseas, or you know, or something was
just re conmer it, you know, when you go and
you go, that was just the best. I loved it.
You need to move on, you need to you need
to evolve into something exactly. And I look at this place.
(18:03):
I love being down there, and I'm really this is
the forever home. This is something that needs that at
my age that I want to it's going to grow
with me. And and so to move away from that
all white which we've surrounded. I think we've kind of
done white mauptains. It's been done to death, and it's beautiful,
(18:24):
it's it's had its moment. But I do think we
need to sort of move on to something that. You know,
the pendulum will always swing. It can swing so far
and then it'll it'll start to come back and it'll
go back over to like crazy colors and they'll find it.
So for me, neutrals has always been something I've been
really comfortable with. So I just go back to something
I go, well, needs to have warmth to it. Somewhere
(18:47):
along the lines we started. I started talking to Walter
about the powder room. And so the powder room is
one of those rooms that you can have so much
fun with because it's a small room exactly. Everyone's going
to visit and then they're going to come out and
you and you generally want someone to go wow, you know,
(19:07):
and you go, you know, it's kind of those when
you go to hotels or you go to you have
experiences and you go, god, have you see gums? Just
go and see, go to the toilet, go to the
powder got to go.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
To the toilet. And it can't be wow because you're
not in there for hours.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Exactly, and it's not like you're going to get sick
of it.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
So I started with a beautiful euro Walls mural and
it's very lush green. It's verdant green, but lots of
you know, palm leaves and trees and you see the
thing about being on the South coast is we've got
our backdrop is this extraordinary escarpment that runs literally parallel
(19:47):
with the ocean and the beaches. You go green on
one side, it's a huge, a huge immerse yourself in that,
and then you've got the ocean. So Green's very much
a part of where we live. So going into that
stu arded literally with the wallpaper, and it's like okay,
And then it was like the v groove and then
should we do a bit of Wayne Scotting? And then
(20:07):
it was like, oh, maybe I could find the vanity
can be some Britan or cane. And then I went
on to Lawsons and I found a beautiful Hondi.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Light and it all Lawsens is an auction site, stopped me.
I lived just down the road, so it's really.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Dangerous span me from going. I mean the ship that
I'm like getting back and what were you thinking anyway?
But this is beautiful, beautiful Hondy light. So it kind
of started and it informed where the house was going.
And I think sometimes you just need that one thing,
Like when my girlfriend said, what's the best bathroom you've
been in bang hook A Lodge? It's got beautiful, beautiful
(20:46):
paneling in a wall paneling and then it's like, oh,
that's that's the you know, that's the bathroom, that's the
beautiful powder room. Have that experience come out and you go,
oh do we do beautiful dark timber engineered flooring. So
now I've got an old fashioned toilet in there with
a wooden lid, and I've got hot and cold taps
like that weathered organic tap and a funky old gold
(21:10):
gill mirror fab with wolves conserts. So you gotta go, Okay,
this is like a little fan, you know, just unexpected. Yeah,
but when you go in there, you go, okay, this
could be anywhere at any time.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
So sometimes you just need that one thing, whether it's
wallpaper or just a photo of something that you love,
and you start there.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
And it will inform the next decision. You have to
trust the process.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, and I didn't want white, so I found these
really beautiful porters half French green, and that's what the
house is going to bed interiors.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I've used that my house.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
In the half French green, Yes, because I've got French green.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
And then in half exactly it's.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Half French green always through the house.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
I love it, do you and you got it? I've
got it. We have a little greenhouse out the back,
and so I've painted it. I mean, I say it's
a greenhouse. That's romanticizing. We've got our sounds good washing
machine the greenhouse, and exactly I painted so many greens.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
It's a perfect one beautiful color. So then what I've
done with all the joiner in the kitchen, and it's
a fairly decent sized backtop. If I've got j mahal
court site for the for the back, for the splash
back and the top of the you know, the center
of the island center. But I'm using like like beautiful
(22:29):
solid timber doors, and I've done it in a promenade,
which is I was looking at the full French green.
But it's again it's a porter's paint, and it's spray
to lightly you'll be able to see all the wood grain.
So everything right up to the weather text ceiling, the
way every ceiling is paneled is all grain. It's all texture,
(22:49):
even the porters. It's that eggshell finish, which is it's texture.
It's moving up. That's and then we'll sit there and
and then I love our Fresco and Porance my favorite store,
but it's cholera it's the other end of the bloody
earth from me. But anyway, it's got this beautiful solid
oak table and these lovely sort of Ritan chairs that
(23:13):
sit around so beautifully, and it's that really warm caramel
color that delicious, that is just that, says Raffles or
says Sri Lanka. And so you've got that sort of
all coming into it. And when I built Bronchi, I
bought I basically shipped over these Restoration Hardware sofas, which
I loved because they were like a four seater with
(23:36):
that were like three and something meters wide, but they
were meter deep. But they had one pillow pain right,
not too so no one gets the crack.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
No one wants the crack.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Hate the crack. I hate the crack.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
It's not comfortable.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
The comfortable don't get like the crack the crack. So
if it's a four seater, so I'm trying to get
our Frisco and Porium to make the sofas so I
can get one pillow pain.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Will they do it?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I think?
Speaker 2 (24:02):
So?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:03):
I hope so more of this because Restoration Hardware is
a big American.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yes, and they're opening, they're coming to Australia. They're opening
up their signature store in Double Bay. But I loved
those sofas and they were slip covered so you can
take them off and washing them better. Yeah, so I'm
trying to get that done. And then it's you and
then outdoor table again. Beautiful cane woven cane chairs, so
everything's cane ratans.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Can you imagine yourself sitting in the furniture.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Absolutely, that's all I think about.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
What do you want to do in these bratan chairs?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Just look, I just can't. I just it's going to be.
I mean, it's so funny because you spend your life
in renders. So the architects have got this incredible platform
that when you say, okay, this is my artwork. I've
had a Richard Allen. I've had these two pieces, this
is the size, this is I own these two gorgeous chests.
I got it oriented. How they're going in there. I
made these lamps years ago. I love them, they're going
(25:03):
in them. I send them a photograph and they go
into the renders. So you're sitting there looking at these
renders are and your actual artwork, so you start start
seeing it all come together. But I do think there's
something beautiful about getting out of the comfort zone of white.
White's very easy. It's a very easy thing to do
because you can throw anything against it. But I think
(25:25):
if you actually want a little bit more warmth and
to kind of have that relaxed that I think and
I love the way you have half French green. It
was just to me that was like the perfect neutral color.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
It is exactly.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
It's soft, it's not a statement. The promenade that goes
with it will be really beautiful. And I've got the
kitchen island. It's just a slow, solid, dark timber. So
it's like a piece of furniture.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
That's not panaby less.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
So you've got this kind of lovely juxtaposition of this
soft paint and then all these textures, and then you've
got that lovely wood with sort of these legs and
there's a bit of brass.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Oh to see how excited you are, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
It's really it's really exciting.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
What about storage. Do you have a lot of stuff?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Oh God, I've got so much shit.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
What do you do with it? You show everything in.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
The post of my stuff when I sold bron Tea,
but then I packed up all these vases and all
these day call things and everything. And when I packed
in such a hurry, I threw them in storage. I
went and looked at the stuff. The other day I
unpeeled a couple of boxes. I'm like, oh my god,
what have I been storing this stuff for so half?
It will just go and then you know, and I
(26:36):
kind of yeah, So there's going to be big clean out.
There'll be a big clean out because I think also
there's an opportunity to start afresh. And as you get older,
you do collect stuff that you don't need. So now
that we're on like the third time that we're renting,
the third time we've moved, yes, I'm getting rid of stuff.
And I'm also going I'm tagging stuff going that'll be sold,
that'll be gone, that'll be going. I just want to
(26:57):
clean it, really clean instead of.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Start it starts really satisfying, not with the necessities. What
are necessities to you?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Bloody good bed? Yeah, the really good bed.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah. Are you a blanket douner.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Well, I'm a donner. My partner is like a sheet
and he likes sub zero temperatures, even in the middle
of winter. You're welcome to having at any time. Actually,
particularly you could take him off my hands and winter that.
It'd be great because a big doner. I'm sitting there
was socks on and gloves on, going are you sereal?
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Put him in the studio.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
No, it's really good in the ages apartment. So we're
gonna we're going to a fan. I'm like, oh, thank god,
I've got the family. Don't have the air conditioning. Oh
thank god. But no, I love a doner. But anyway,
that's so, yeah, you need one of those beds. But
you've got half dinner and just half shiss. But yeah,
you know, I love a pillow person. I love a
beautifully made bed. I will not leave that room ever
without the bed looking perfect. Uhhh, yeah, the bed's got
(27:51):
to be. It's all about that, I think after having
a couple of bedding ranges and stuff, and I've styled
so many beds for photographs and like, I like like
volume and any tricks.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
How many pillows do you use? Or are you a trifol?
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yeah, I'm a bit of a trifol. Yeah, I'm a
bit of a take it up, take it back, bring
it back again. And I like to see the difference
in color. I like a seat of a different colored
fitted to the flat sheet on top. And I like
to sort of play with colors. Yeah, everything I've got
basically navy and white. So that's going to challenge me.
Oh the master bedroom, I didn't tell you. It's all
(28:25):
porterous grass cloth. So we're doing every wall and a
grass clock.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Oh, how fantastic color.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
And then it come on color. It's called Savannah. No,
don't come on, it's called Savannah. Yeah. So it's just
really again, texture texture, texture, texture, texture. Yes, yeah, it's
a lot of Yeah, it's gonna be awesome to getting
me excited.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
We can't wait to see it. We can't wait to
shoot it there.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Yeah, I'll line up really take a number.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Well, when you move back in, I'm gonna ask some questions.
We call it house rules. Okay, so what are your
house rules in terms of shoes on or off?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Oh? No, take you take your shoes off, leave them on.
I don't care. But no, I really I don't have
any rules like that. It's not comfortable. No, no, Bronti.
I had beautiful engineered flooring and the first friend came
over with high heel shoes and just put holes in it,
and I thought, oh my god, wrong flooring. Not wrong
girlfriend or wrong heel, just wrong wrong flooring. So you know,
(29:28):
I told you it was a bit of a precious house.
Never again. So no, be comfy, leave them on, take
them off, whatever you want to do. I don't care.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Okay, what about something that is always fresh but you
always have in your house.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Well, I was mad fan of fresh flowers, although where
we are down there, it's not a lot of flower
markets and stuff, so it's a little bit on the
scare side, which is a bit sad. So I think
it's just I'll probably be a few more natives, but
be honest with you, I think Australian natives belong on
the bush. I'm not a huge fan of this. It's
(30:02):
just a whole bunch of like gum or something like that.
So yeah, we just don't. We don't have a lot
of huge flowers down there, so always be fresh fruit.
So I love a big goal of usually just one color.
At the moment, it's just mandarins, citrus, so you get
sick of it, well just because it looks better and
I go it's apple seasons, so it's all apples.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
You can make a great crumble at the end of it.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
I know, I know, but yeah, look, there'd always be
there'll be some kind of fresh flowers, even if it's
like a whole bunch of fresh hobes that's sitting there.
I do have to have something, something in a vase,
which is why I have too many bases.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
How about the soundtrack of your home? What what would
you play in the background.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Look, it'd be something in the eighties because that's my
era of so it'd kind of be like, I don't know,
Grover Washington or Stylistics or something like that. Something really daggy.
I actually have playlists that are called daggy. Marshi just
basically puts his ear plugs in and just listens to like,
you know, place or something like that. But I'm another
(31:10):
here completely and I love my daggy music. Yeah, it's
kind of really chilled. I have so many old sort
of classics. But but it's that year. I just love,
you know, I love going back to that time. I
think we made such beautiful music back then. It's you know,
a lot of kids are listening to the eighties. There
(31:31):
really are sent seventies and eighties.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Tell me about your cleaning routine. Do you have a
regular cleaning day, I.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Get stressed, I clean.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
My favorite room is the laundry.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, tell me why.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
I just love the laundry. I just love. I mean,
Marsha will come home and I'll say, I'm doing a
load of darks. What are you wearing? Give that to me.
I don't care to take it off. I'm putting you
in the wash. At you, it looks a woman. You're mad.
I'm like, maybe, but it'll be clean. I love washing.
I love washing. Honestly. If I get stressed, I'm out
(32:07):
there with a scrubbush and there's something in that.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I hear that sot and I do the same thing
if if life feels a bit chaotic, I need to
control something.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Yeah, and it's usually cleaning something I know. I know.
So yeah, No, I love a I tell you, what's
new in this house is I'm doing a Turner Hastings
fire clay sink and I've never done that before. So
I'm a little bit worried. Oh I don't know about
worried or I don't know. Looking forward to me. Well, yeah,
I mean, you know, you throw a lot of stuff
(32:38):
in the sink, and I mean I'm cleaning. I'm always
cleaning a sink. So it'll be fine. But I'm like,
it's gonna look like I don't like beetroots, So that's okay,
So there'll be no beetroot dishes. But you know, there
might be some sort of leftover lamb roast stuff or something.
I don't know that I don't know. I've never done
it before. I've always fancied and I'm getting I'm getting
one in the laundry. It's got the apron front beautiful
and another thing I've always wanted. I'm getting a white fight,
(33:01):
I think in the kitchen.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
So that is gorgeous. Well, one question that I have
to ask everybody, what makes your home beautiful?
Speaker 1 (33:13):
That's so corny, I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
People, Oh that is beautiful people.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Yeah, it's people. There really is. A home comes alive
with energy. That's how a line. That's how use the
home is it. It's the energy in it. Yeah, so
you know that's Marshi. You know he has a beautiful energy.
We'll get a dog when we have fences. We've got
beautiful friends, we'll invite over, we have family. So that's
(33:41):
what makes a home. Yeah, it's people.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
The right people, the right people.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
I saw a sign outside a house once it said
something like, our visitors always bring us joy, some when
they arrive, some when they leave.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
That's that's true, that's true. It won't be coming back
a blackboard in the pantry. You're on the blackboard. Yeah,
say no more.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Well I hope I'm not on that board.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
The start to get the board. But yeah, there's Yeah,
it's funny when you actually move out of out of
out of the city that you've spent a lot of time.
Some people naturally just drift away and others you hang
on to because that really mean something to you. So
it's kind of a natural it's a natural kind of
evolution of that.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
So it's really interesting because it's like no, no, you're coming,
you're coming. And then I loved it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
But you know, it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah. See you're never Yeah, well we get to see
you again. Thank you so much for joining us here.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Oh you're welcome. It's been fun. Me and the little
of my little gump, I know, just keep ourselves back
in the handbag and got to train back home.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
I like that sound effect. Yeah, thank you and yeah,
we can't wait to see and.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Follow a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's really it's coming
together beautiful, it's very it's coming to the really exciting stages.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
So we'll see your Christmas. I had so much fun
chatting with deb about her build on the South Coast.
Her energy is just infectious and her vision for this
house is something really special. I love how she's gone
from building the Princess House in Bronti to something that
is entirely and unapologetically her. If you loved this episode,
(35:30):
you'll have to check out our two parter with Maddie Jay,
where he'spilled all the details about the renovation of his
own South Coast home in Alla Dullah chant Mayer. And
while you're there, make sure you subscribe to Home Beautiful
on YouTube and follow us on your favorite podcast app.
We'll see you next time.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
This is an Our Media podcast
This is an our media podcast. Powder room is one
of those rooms that you can have so much fun
with because it's a small room exactly. Everyone's going to
visit and then they're going to come out and you
and you generally want someone to go wow, you know,
and you go. You know. It's kind of those when
(00:24):
you go to hotels or you go to you have
experiences and you go, God, have you seen go and
just go and see. Go to the toilet, go to
the powder got to go to.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
The toilet, and it can be wow because you're not
in there for hours.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Exactly, and it's not like you ever going to get
sick of it.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Yeah, we are back with part two of my chat
with Deb Hutton. If you're rejoining us after listening to
part one, welcome back, and if you haven't already listened
to part one, scroll back up in your feed, listen
to part one, and then join me back here again.
Dep has done everything from modeling to hosting TV shows
(01:02):
to editing magazines. I just had to ask her about
the most spectacular things she's done, plus why she wants
guests to go wow when they visit her bathroom. Here's
Deb I would like to know more about Canopy Bay.
You were talking about it earlier, but for any of
(01:22):
our listeners who aren't aware, or the lady you bumped
into in.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
At the reception, I said, I had a clothing line. No,
it's a hatline, and it's called Caramel. No, it's called
Canopy Bay. But thank you for taking notice. So well,
it's interesting. I had a pretty massive skin cancer got
a big long time ago now, which was infiltrating BCC
that was just sitting under my nose on my right
(01:49):
hand side of my face, and it was a pretty
significant consurgery. This is probably fifteen years ago something like that. Anyway,
did it? He got on with live television, you know
that kind of stuff, kept life kept going. And then
just before we locked down and COVID, my dorm was
(02:11):
keeping eye on something and she said, I'm not sure
about that. So I went to see my surgeon because
he was always checking on me, and he said, this
has got to come out. Now. We're going about to
do two biopsies today, and I went, what do you
mean two? Because I could just see there was one.
And they did the biopsy and he rang me and
I didn't want to go in for surgery and he said, look,
all the pathologists are about to pack up and go
(02:31):
because we're going into lockdown. So if you don't do
something now, you know it's not good. Oh shit. So
went in and we had a surgery and again it
was almost identical size.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
And what did it look like?
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Oh it was tiny little red dot and the other
one was invisible. There was two and one I couldn't
even see and tiny little red dot. Anyway, so I
have a scar that goes from my nose down on
my chin, and it was another flap surgery that was
in the exact same place. And just as a matter
of interest, what cancer cells do. It's not that they
didn't get it the margins the first time, but there's
(03:08):
a weakness in the skin. Then the cancer tends to
target at the weakness, which is why it came back
in the exact same spot. So anyway, I go in
and I have this surgery and I'm you know, I'm
kind of I'm home, and I you know, I'm kind
of going a couple I'm doing this again, and I've
thought it was wadding on my face. I go in
five days later and they removed the stitches and I said,
before the girl removed this. I said, how many stitches
(03:31):
are there? Because I wasn't going to look, and she's
a little too many to count, and I go shit,
So I said, please take a photo. So she took
a photo. And then I got home and I'm, you know,
sitting on the couch. She's feeling a little sorry for
myself with a very large Gin and Tonic and I'm
sitting there and I look at this, but I go,
Jesus Christ, that's brutal. And I posted it and I said,
(03:53):
I didn't even remember what I said. I basically that
this is just a reminder that if you don't get
your skin checked, it could be this or a lot
or something along those lines. So next thing you know,
it pops up on Channel nine and there's Peter Overton
going oh and Debora Hutton's Scott, you know, skin cancer,
and it just it went viral and then one thing
(04:14):
led to another, is on a current affair and up
doing a cover for the Weekly blah blah blah. So
it was was amazing it got out there was actually
very powerful. I got a lot of messages and one
of those messages was an email from a company, a
hat company, and I'll never forget it, said Deb. I
don't know if you realize that the hats that you
(04:35):
have been wearing are probably not giving you any sun
protection really right? And I was like that's what I
was like, like what, that doesn't make any sense.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
I think it's a hat.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
You think a hat is a hat, And basically it
was giving me shade but no sun protection because the
uv ras can pass through so many different types of fabrications,
and if there's holes in a hat and it looks divine,
you go to Greece and you pay two dollars at
the wharf and you wear these things and they're doing
nothing but basically shading you, but you're still getting uv race.
So I had a meeting with these guys because I
(05:05):
was just like what and we spoken. I was I
went through the whole process and this particular fabrication called
Flexi braid, and they said, how would you feel about
bringing out a range and designing a range of hats,
And I went, yeah, I think that's a great idea.
So Canopy Bay was born. When we're in lockdown, we'd
actually we got onto it straight away and we launched. Yeah,
(05:28):
when when the shops weren't open and stuff and it's
been so there. They are UPF fifty plus sun protection hats.
They are fully graded hats that that sun can't get
through it when they flat pack, and they're they're a
great range. And I and I just I love designing,
so I weren't a sixth range, but it's just something
(05:50):
because I just I'm in love wearing hats anyway. But
these are really practical, Like you, they can get wet,
you can flat pack them when you going to Europe,
you're gonna sit in the sun. You know. They kind
of got a band, which means if it's windy, you
can tip in the band. They're not going to fall off.
They kind of got they're really practical and durable hats.
And a friend of mine we had to come up
(06:10):
with a name. And a friend of mine who wrote
my very first Grace Brother's commercial in nineteen eighty four,
who's still a very very dear friend. I rang him
one day and I said, I got to name these hats.
I don't know what to call him. He's getting on
a plane to Melbourne. He said what, And I said, well,
it's his hat and I need to name them. And
I don't want to call him. And then he said,
I'll give me an now, So he gets off in
Melbourne basically sends me like fifteen names with his hats. Yeah,
and can it be basing the right one? So that
(06:32):
was it.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
That's simple.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
That was it. So Canopy Bay was launched. Yeah, oh
my gosh. Yeah, it's a joy project because it allows
me to talk about the dangers of the sun. It
allows me to remind people to get the skin checked.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
I think when you get to a certain stage in life,
which is where I am up basically retired from television
and magazines and all that, but I have a platform
and a following that it gives me a purpose to
actually talk about something that's actually quite important. Yeah, rather
than a bit of fluff. It's about you know, what
I'm eating or whatever. You know, it's kind of it's
I'm happy to include that too, but or paint colors.
(07:10):
But it actually does give me, It gives me, gives
me purpose around that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
So absolutely, do people write to you, Yes, yes they
do wearing the hats and.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Know they write to me about thank you for reminding me,
because this is what's happened to me. This is what's
happened to my friend? My friend had this. A lot
of people will contact me and say what kind of
cream did you use to heal the scar? People friends
that I know and other people's contact me and say,
who's a surgeon you use? Because they did a great job.
So I'm sort of become the sort of a go
to for which is which is great?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
What is the most important messaging that you want people
to hear?
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Look? The most important thing? We can also here and
go slip slop slap. The most important thing is to
get your skin checked because if the damage isn't be done,
you can stop it from happening. Fantastic, even if you're
getting sort of you know later on in life after
you think, I'll bugger it, it's all done already, live
your life if you want to, but you get your
bloody skin checked. Just go and get it checked. Because
(08:08):
early detection is absolutely everything.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And like you said, one was a red dot, one
was invisible. How would we know?
Speaker 1 (08:14):
Yeah, we don't know. We don't know. When we think
we know, I think, then it becomes you become a
bit paranoid. Then once you've had a few, which I have,
which is good, paranoise. It's a good thing. Do that.
So when was the last time you had just kin checked.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
Yeah, it's been a few years. I'm suah really and
I am a pale, pale gown.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
You are a pale You got beautiful skin. Yeah you
should do.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
You don't see a lot of sunlight. No, but still
that shouldn't be a reason for me to feel safe
about it.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
No, absolutely not, No, absolutely not. And also, you know,
I'm sort of deficient in vitamin D. That's the other
thing is just stay out of it, and that's not
good for you. So my doctor said years ago, she said, okay,
so sun get up in the morning. Yeah, and just
get out there before ten. And if you want to
get out there after three, but in the middle your bar,
don't go there. So that way you can get a
bit of Yeah. Okay, I thought that that was practical advice.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
We do like it to practical advice. You would have
heard and shared a lot of practical advice over the
years because you have done everything from age sixteen you
started modeling, through to magazines, editing through to TV presenting.
(09:25):
What are some of the most spectacular things that you
have done or what are some of the most boring
jobs that you've had in all about.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
Oh, I don't know. Spectacular is a hard thing to say.
You know, I look and I think I'm very fortunate.
I've been sort of the right face at the right time,
you know what I mean. It's just been it's been
a joy and I've been and I look back now
at the industry that you're in that I used to
be in, and how significantly it's changed, saying with television
(09:56):
and free to wear, and so I look back at
it as a as a as a beautiful kind of a
few decades of the joy of all those things where
there was budgets and there was invested people and life
is pretty simple. And so I've done some pretty cool
things with some pretty cool people, and I've loved I've
absolutely loved every minute of it. And then I just go, Wow,
(10:19):
it's just really comfortall circle where I'm just going, I'm
really happy. I'm just so blessed to have that. And
there was nothing boring. There's nothing really boring. It might
be some of you know, some MC thing. I was going,
I'm go, I wait to get out there here. I
can't get a laugh out of this lot, you know,
clearly you need to drink more. But so, but yeah,
(10:39):
there's been some really cool things. I mean I did
some great things. I was with Quantus for fourteen years.
It was a face of Quantas for fourteen years. So
did some really cool things. Hung out with John Travold,
had to dance with him. You know. I had a
movie show on Fox Tell, so I used to interview
all the big stars when they came out. But I
you know, but they're just moments and they just they
and then they don't exist, and then you go, Okay,
(11:00):
I just enjoyed life for what it gave me that day.
You know, it really really was. It really was that.
And you know people are saying, now, well, what are
you going to do next year when the house is finished?
I'm like, sleep, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
I have a rest at the ocean.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Yeah, a few things. I got a few things up
my sleeve. You know that might be in the kind
of it might be in the interior space or in
terms of products and stuff like that, or if.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
You need anything promoted. I know people that you do.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
And then I've been asked many times to sort of
write a bit of a book. And I don't know
if I do that. I think, if anything, I would
write something that would just be for me or my nephews,
and I don't without any any thinking i'd get it published.
But I think it'd be kind of because I had
a bit of a crazy life. It's been a bit crazy.
Speaker 2 (11:47):
I do like that idea, and I've been looking.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
At nothing normal about my life.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
No, I'm picking that up. Would you write it yourself
because or would you use one of those promittings?
Speaker 1 (12:00):
I think I would tell it. I think my years
of working in publications and publishing was I probably would
have made a very good sub editor because I'm very
good at spotting at spelling mistake or you know grammar
that's Incoorage, which these days it's just everywhere the front
page of the Australian and you're like what, And so
(12:22):
I think I would be held up by doing that.
Whereas I'm better at telling a story, I'm better at
sitting here and talking to you and telling a story.
So if I was to write it, would I would
just be telling stories and capturing that essence rather than
sitting there and going, well, you know, I missed that letter,
And because that would just be the like road rocks everywhere.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
So is there anything you think your nephews would be
surprised to read about?
Speaker 1 (12:42):
Oh my god, I don't know if i'd actually I
think i'd hate to recall some of the things from
Edward here. It's really funny when I think about some
of the things, like, oh, I could say that, you know,
do I then talk about somebody else? But it is
actually me and it's my story, and yeah, you know
there's a yeah, I'm sor. I was pretty wild years ago.
(13:03):
I was stoned for about ten years and then my seriously,
I lived alive. I left him at sixteen and met
a guy and just started to just smoke dope and
I went, this is good. And then I used to modeling.
I turn off and they go, when you smiled it,
could you open up your eyes a bit more?
Speaker 2 (13:23):
You're kidding.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
I think that was a Walton sad.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Fast.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
I was been born with modeling. I don't had enough.
After six years, I'm like, I can't do this anymore.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
So what what did you quit doing?
Speaker 1 (13:43):
The smoking? My game? I gave up the husband and
the dope all at one because that was it, left
my marriage and just put out my last my last joint.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
That was it next face of life ready to begin?
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Literally, that's exactly right. It's so funny.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Do you have any vices now?
Speaker 1 (14:00):
No? No, I mean I love a drink with my friends.
I go out with the beautiful man who doesn't drink.
So that kind of keeps me on the straight until
I get to the weekend. It goes to the narrow
and then it comes back on the straight, and then
it goes to the narrow. So but no, they're my
only they're my only vices. You know, I've kind of
been there and done it all, and I just part
(14:21):
of moving out of the city was also the energy.
And there's a bit of an energy in the eastern
suburbs which gets a little bit and so it's like
I kind of I like being in a really very simple,
close community that's really grounded and just very very basic.
My favorite place to hang out as the Cold l RSL.
I love it. It's run by volunteers, good old Liz
(14:44):
and Joan and you know they're there and they you know,
how do you make a gin and tonic again? Love?
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Oh yeah, that's right, you know your order the gt.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Love nine Bucks. It's bark as good for come a
member get dealt. Yeah, everyone, you've got to come down
the cold hour. That's awesome. We'll see the trivia night.
Love a trivia and iye, I never get anything right,
but anyway, that's half of fun, just being.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
There coming up. But Deb's mystery draw moment, and it's
honestly one of the most charming things we have ever
seen pulled out of a handbag. You had a rummage
in your handbag earlier, because quite often our guests bring
an item from their mystery drawer.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
Okay, is a bit of a mystery. It's kind of
like a pouch in there that gets moved from handbag
to handbag and I go, what the hell is in here?
So when you put it on me I did, I went, oh, yep,
this comes with me everything. I'm very handy. What is it?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
I can't wait to find out.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
My tape measure?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Now there's some asmr.
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Isn't it?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
And it does cent inches perfect? I know, the most
joyful tape measure I've ever seen. How would you describe
that for our listeners who want.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Very It's a very very happy It reminds me of
Forest Gump when he had that T shirt on, you know,
the happy T shirt with the two eyes and the
big smile. So it's a it's a cute little yellow
box with this little weird kind of orange fluffy hair.
And that's what the that is what tis attached to.
(16:33):
And look, it doesn't go that far. It's not quite
at the length of the shower of the steam shirt.
What am I? God, here I've got I've got it's
fifty four inches, so it's one hundred and thirty's one
hundred and four one point four okay, one point four.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
Well that's not I think anyone who's building a house
or decorating you need to carry a tape measure with you.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
You do. I've got one in the car. I've got
one to like reading glasses, I do. I have them everywhere. Yeah,
the antape measures are everywhere. But this is the cutest
little thing and it just s's in my leg.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
It's so cute. I absolutely love it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah, it doesn't have a name, but that's just I
should call it forest.
Speaker 2 (17:09):
Actually perfect forest, the happy tape measure. I'd love to
hear more about. You're talking about the evolution from the
Bronze House, which was white and the Princess House through
to your south coast home, which is textural and color.
Let's get into the details. Tell us about how did
(17:34):
you move away from white. Was it something that felt
natural or did you just go I need to change.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I think I think once you've experienced something, it's very
hard to go back and try and recreate something. And
you can say with anything, say with a party or
or a trip overseas, or you know, or something was
just re conmer it, you know, when you go and
you go, that was just the best. I loved it.
You need to move on, you need to you need
to evolve into something exactly. And I look at this place.
(18:03):
I love being down there, and I'm really this is
the forever home. This is something that needs that at
my age that I want to it's going to grow
with me. And and so to move away from that
all white which we've surrounded. I think we've kind of
done white mauptains. It's been done to death, and it's beautiful,
(18:24):
it's it's had its moment. But I do think we
need to sort of move on to something that. You know,
the pendulum will always swing. It can swing so far
and then it'll it'll start to come back and it'll
go back over to like crazy colors and they'll find it.
So for me, neutrals has always been something I've been
really comfortable with. So I just go back to something
I go, well, needs to have warmth to it. Somewhere
(18:47):
along the lines we started. I started talking to Walter
about the powder room. And so the powder room is
one of those rooms that you can have so much
fun with because it's a small room exactly. Everyone's going
to visit and then they're going to come out and
you and you generally want someone to go wow, you know,
(19:07):
and you go, you know, it's kind of those when
you go to hotels or you go to you have
experiences and you go, god, have you see gums? Just
go and see, go to the toilet, go to the
powder got to go.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
To the toilet. And it can't be wow because you're
not in there for hours.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Exactly, and it's not like you're going to get sick
of it.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
So I started with a beautiful euro Walls mural and
it's very lush green. It's verdant green, but lots of
you know, palm leaves and trees and you see the
thing about being on the South coast is we've got
our backdrop is this extraordinary escarpment that runs literally parallel
(19:47):
with the ocean and the beaches. You go green on
one side, it's a huge, a huge immerse yourself in that,
and then you've got the ocean. So Green's very much
a part of where we live. So going into that
stu arded literally with the wallpaper, and it's like okay,
And then it was like the v groove and then
should we do a bit of Wayne Scotting? And then
(20:07):
it was like, oh, maybe I could find the vanity
can be some Britan or cane. And then I went
on to Lawsons and I found a beautiful Hondi.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Light and it all Lawsens is an auction site, stopped me.
I lived just down the road, so it's really.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Dangerous span me from going. I mean the ship that
I'm like getting back and what were you thinking anyway?
But this is beautiful, beautiful Hondy light. So it kind
of started and it informed where the house was going.
And I think sometimes you just need that one thing,
Like when my girlfriend said, what's the best bathroom you've
been in bang hook A Lodge? It's got beautiful, beautiful
(20:46):
paneling in a wall paneling and then it's like, oh,
that's that's the you know, that's the bathroom, that's the
beautiful powder room. Have that experience come out and you go,
oh do we do beautiful dark timber engineered flooring. So
now I've got an old fashioned toilet in there with
a wooden lid, and I've got hot and cold taps
like that weathered organic tap and a funky old gold
(21:10):
gill mirror fab with wolves conserts. So you gotta go, Okay,
this is like a little fan, you know, just unexpected. Yeah,
but when you go in there, you go, okay, this
could be anywhere at any time.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
So sometimes you just need that one thing, whether it's
wallpaper or just a photo of something that you love,
and you start there.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
And it will inform the next decision. You have to
trust the process.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, and I didn't want white, so I found these
really beautiful porters half French green, and that's what the
house is going to bed interiors.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
I've used that my house.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
In the half French green, Yes, because I've got French green.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
And then in half exactly it's.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Half French green always through the house.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
I love it, do you and you got it? I've
got it. We have a little greenhouse out the back,
and so I've painted it. I mean, I say it's
a greenhouse. That's romanticizing. We've got our sounds good washing
machine the greenhouse, and exactly I painted so many greens.
Speaker 1 (22:08):
It's a perfect one beautiful color. So then what I've
done with all the joiner in the kitchen, and it's
a fairly decent sized backtop. If I've got j mahal
court site for the for the back, for the splash
back and the top of the you know, the center
of the island center. But I'm using like like beautiful
(22:29):
solid timber doors, and I've done it in a promenade,
which is I was looking at the full French green.
But it's again it's a porter's paint, and it's spray
to lightly you'll be able to see all the wood grain.
So everything right up to the weather text ceiling, the
way every ceiling is paneled is all grain. It's all texture,
(22:49):
even the porters. It's that eggshell finish, which is it's texture.
It's moving up. That's and then we'll sit there and
and then I love our Fresco and Porance my favorite store,
but it's cholera it's the other end of the bloody
earth from me. But anyway, it's got this beautiful solid
oak table and these lovely sort of Ritan chairs that
(23:13):
sit around so beautifully, and it's that really warm caramel
color that delicious, that is just that, says Raffles or
says Sri Lanka. And so you've got that sort of
all coming into it. And when I built Bronchi, I
bought I basically shipped over these Restoration Hardware sofas, which
I loved because they were like a four seater with
(23:36):
that were like three and something meters wide, but they
were meter deep. But they had one pillow pain right,
not too so no one gets the crack.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
No one wants the crack.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
Hate the crack. I hate the crack.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
It's not comfortable.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
The comfortable don't get like the crack the crack. So
if it's a four seater, so I'm trying to get
our Frisco and Porium to make the sofas so I
can get one pillow pain.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
Will they do it?
Speaker 1 (24:02):
I think?
Speaker 2 (24:02):
So?
Speaker 1 (24:03):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (24:03):
I hope so more of this because Restoration Hardware is
a big American.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Yes, and they're opening, they're coming to Australia. They're opening
up their signature store in Double Bay. But I loved
those sofas and they were slip covered so you can
take them off and washing them better. Yeah, so I'm
trying to get that done. And then it's you and
then outdoor table again. Beautiful cane woven cane chairs, so
everything's cane ratans.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
Can you imagine yourself sitting in the furniture.
Speaker 1 (24:32):
Absolutely, that's all I think about.
Speaker 2 (24:36):
What do you want to do in these bratan chairs?
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Just look, I just can't. I just it's going to be.
I mean, it's so funny because you spend your life
in renders. So the architects have got this incredible platform
that when you say, okay, this is my artwork. I've
had a Richard Allen. I've had these two pieces, this
is the size, this is I own these two gorgeous chests.
I got it oriented. How they're going in there. I
made these lamps years ago. I love them, they're going
(25:03):
in them. I send them a photograph and they go
into the renders. So you're sitting there looking at these
renders are and your actual artwork, so you start start
seeing it all come together. But I do think there's
something beautiful about getting out of the comfort zone of white.
White's very easy. It's a very easy thing to do
because you can throw anything against it. But I think
(25:25):
if you actually want a little bit more warmth and
to kind of have that relaxed that I think and
I love the way you have half French green. It
was just to me that was like the perfect neutral color.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
It is exactly.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
It's soft, it's not a statement. The promenade that goes
with it will be really beautiful. And I've got the
kitchen island. It's just a slow, solid, dark timber. So
it's like a piece of furniture.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
That's not panaby less.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
So you've got this kind of lovely juxtaposition of this
soft paint and then all these textures, and then you've
got that lovely wood with sort of these legs and
there's a bit of brass.
Speaker 2 (26:02):
Oh to see how excited you are, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
It's really it's really exciting.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
What about storage. Do you have a lot of stuff?
Speaker 1 (26:09):
Oh God, I've got so much shit.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
What do you do with it? You show everything in.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
The post of my stuff when I sold bron Tea,
but then I packed up all these vases and all
these day call things and everything. And when I packed
in such a hurry, I threw them in storage. I
went and looked at the stuff. The other day I
unpeeled a couple of boxes. I'm like, oh my god,
what have I been storing this stuff for so half?
It will just go and then you know, and I
(26:36):
kind of yeah, So there's going to be big clean out.
There'll be a big clean out because I think also
there's an opportunity to start afresh. And as you get older,
you do collect stuff that you don't need. So now
that we're on like the third time that we're renting,
the third time we've moved, yes, I'm getting rid of stuff.
And I'm also going I'm tagging stuff going that'll be sold,
that'll be gone, that'll be going. I just want to
(26:57):
clean it, really clean instead of.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
Start it starts really satisfying, not with the necessities. What
are necessities to you?
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Bloody good bed? Yeah, the really good bed.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
Yeah. Are you a blanket douner.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Well, I'm a donner. My partner is like a sheet
and he likes sub zero temperatures, even in the middle
of winter. You're welcome to having at any time. Actually,
particularly you could take him off my hands and winter that.
It'd be great because a big doner. I'm sitting there
was socks on and gloves on, going are you sereal?
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Put him in the studio.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
No, it's really good in the ages apartment. So we're
gonna we're going to a fan. I'm like, oh, thank god,
I've got the family. Don't have the air conditioning. Oh
thank god. But no, I love a doner. But anyway,
that's so, yeah, you need one of those beds. But
you've got half dinner and just half shiss. But yeah,
you know, I love a pillow person. I love a
beautifully made bed. I will not leave that room ever
without the bed looking perfect. Uhhh, yeah, the bed's got
(27:51):
to be. It's all about that, I think after having
a couple of bedding ranges and stuff, and I've styled
so many beds for photographs and like, I like like
volume and any tricks.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
How many pillows do you use? Or are you a trifol?
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yeah, I'm a bit of a trifol. Yeah, I'm a
bit of a take it up, take it back, bring
it back again. And I like to see the difference
in color. I like a seat of a different colored
fitted to the flat sheet on top. And I like
to sort of play with colors. Yeah, everything I've got
basically navy and white. So that's going to challenge me.
Oh the master bedroom, I didn't tell you. It's all
(28:25):
porterous grass cloth. So we're doing every wall and a
grass clock.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
Oh, how fantastic color.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
And then it come on color. It's called Savannah. No,
don't come on, it's called Savannah. Yeah. So it's just
really again, texture texture, texture, texture, texture. Yes, yeah, it's
a lot of Yeah, it's gonna be awesome to getting
me excited.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
We can't wait to see it. We can't wait to
shoot it there.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Yeah, I'll line up really take a number.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
Well, when you move back in, I'm gonna ask some questions.
We call it house rules. Okay, so what are your
house rules in terms of shoes on or off?
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Oh? No, take you take your shoes off, leave them on.
I don't care. But no, I really I don't have
any rules like that. It's not comfortable. No, no, Bronti.
I had beautiful engineered flooring and the first friend came
over with high heel shoes and just put holes in it,
and I thought, oh my god, wrong flooring. Not wrong
girlfriend or wrong heel, just wrong wrong flooring. So you know,
(29:28):
I told you it was a bit of a precious house.
Never again. So no, be comfy, leave them on, take
them off, whatever you want to do. I don't care.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Okay, what about something that is always fresh but you
always have in your house.
Speaker 1 (29:41):
Well, I was mad fan of fresh flowers, although where
we are down there, it's not a lot of flower
markets and stuff, so it's a little bit on the
scare side, which is a bit sad. So I think
it's just I'll probably be a few more natives, but
be honest with you, I think Australian natives belong on
the bush. I'm not a huge fan of this. It's
(30:02):
just a whole bunch of like gum or something like that.
So yeah, we just don't. We don't have a lot
of huge flowers down there, so always be fresh fruit.
So I love a big goal of usually just one color.
At the moment, it's just mandarins, citrus, so you get
sick of it, well just because it looks better and
I go it's apple seasons, so it's all apples.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
You can make a great crumble at the end of it.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
I know, I know, but yeah, look, there'd always be
there'll be some kind of fresh flowers, even if it's
like a whole bunch of fresh hobes that's sitting there.
I do have to have something, something in a vase,
which is why I have too many bases.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
How about the soundtrack of your home? What what would
you play in the background.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Look, it'd be something in the eighties because that's my
era of so it'd kind of be like, I don't know,
Grover Washington or Stylistics or something like that. Something really daggy.
I actually have playlists that are called daggy. Marshi just
basically puts his ear plugs in and just listens to like,
you know, place or something like that. But I'm another
(31:10):
here completely and I love my daggy music. Yeah, it's
kind of really chilled. I have so many old sort
of classics. But but it's that year. I just love,
you know, I love going back to that time. I
think we made such beautiful music back then. It's you know,
a lot of kids are listening to the eighties. There
(31:31):
really are sent seventies and eighties.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
Tell me about your cleaning routine. Do you have a
regular cleaning day, I.
Speaker 1 (31:41):
Get stressed, I clean.
Speaker 2 (31:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
My favorite room is the laundry.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, tell me why.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
I just love the laundry. I just love. I mean,
Marsha will come home and I'll say, I'm doing a
load of darks. What are you wearing? Give that to me.
I don't care to take it off. I'm putting you
in the wash. At you, it looks a woman. You're mad.
I'm like, maybe, but it'll be clean. I love washing.
I love washing. Honestly. If I get stressed, I'm out
(32:07):
there with a scrubbush and there's something in that.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
I hear that sot and I do the same thing
if if life feels a bit chaotic, I need to
control something.
Speaker 1 (32:16):
Yeah, and it's usually cleaning something I know. I know.
So yeah, No, I love a I tell you, what's
new in this house is I'm doing a Turner Hastings
fire clay sink and I've never done that before. So
I'm a little bit worried. Oh I don't know about
worried or I don't know. Looking forward to me. Well, yeah,
I mean, you know, you throw a lot of stuff
(32:38):
in the sink, and I mean I'm cleaning. I'm always
cleaning a sink. So it'll be fine. But I'm like,
it's gonna look like I don't like beetroots, So that's okay,
So there'll be no beetroot dishes. But you know, there
might be some sort of leftover lamb roast stuff or something.
I don't know that I don't know. I've never done
it before. I've always fancied and I'm getting I'm getting
one in the laundry. It's got the apron front beautiful
and another thing I've always wanted. I'm getting a white fight,
(33:01):
I think in the kitchen.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
So that is gorgeous. Well, one question that I have
to ask everybody, what makes your home beautiful?
Speaker 1 (33:13):
That's so corny, I know, I know.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
People, Oh that is beautiful people.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Yeah, it's people. There really is. A home comes alive
with energy. That's how a line. That's how use the
home is it. It's the energy in it. Yeah, so
you know that's Marshi. You know he has a beautiful energy.
We'll get a dog when we have fences. We've got
beautiful friends, we'll invite over, we have family. So that's
(33:41):
what makes a home. Yeah, it's people.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
I couldn't agree more.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
The right people, the right people.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
I saw a sign outside a house once it said
something like, our visitors always bring us joy, some when
they arrive, some when they leave.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
That's that's true, that's true. It won't be coming back
a blackboard in the pantry. You're on the blackboard. Yeah,
say no more.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Well I hope I'm not on that board.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
The start to get the board. But yeah, there's Yeah,
it's funny when you actually move out of out of
out of the city that you've spent a lot of time.
Some people naturally just drift away and others you hang
on to because that really mean something to you. So
it's kind of a natural it's a natural kind of
evolution of that.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
So it's really interesting because it's like no, no, you're coming,
you're coming. And then I loved it.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
But you know, it's been fun.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, it's been fun.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Yeah. See you're never Yeah, well we get to see
you again. Thank you so much for joining us here.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
Oh you're welcome. It's been fun. Me and the little
of my little gump, I know, just keep ourselves back
in the handbag and got to train back home.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
I like that sound effect. Yeah, thank you and yeah,
we can't wait to see and.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Follow a lot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's really it's coming
together beautiful, it's very it's coming to the really exciting stages.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
So we'll see your Christmas. I had so much fun
chatting with deb about her build on the South Coast.
Her energy is just infectious and her vision for this
house is something really special. I love how she's gone
from building the Princess House in Bronti to something that
is entirely and unapologetically her. If you loved this episode,
(35:30):
you'll have to check out our two parter with Maddie Jay,
where he'spilled all the details about the renovation of his
own South Coast home in Alla Dullah chant Mayer. And
while you're there, make sure you subscribe to Home Beautiful
on YouTube and follow us on your favorite podcast app.
We'll see you next time.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
This is an Our Media podcast
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Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com