PUTTING MORE HEART INTO YOUR HOME by Bronnie Masefau


LivingNow recently spoke with Bronnie Masefau, author of two stunningly beautiful books, Australian Vintage Living – Putting the heart back into home and Australian Vintage Living – Making anywhere home. Bronnie’s message is one of helping us build our own family ‘vintage’ (a word that she seems to use more to describe style or essence than an era) by having us fall in love with our lives, our homes, our families.


She said that the series was birthed from “a desire to simplify our home life and restore to my children a balanced environment where our home reflected the desires of our heart”. Her vision for the series is “to give families the confidence to create and embrace their own vintage, encouraging a slower pace and a fuller, more complete life”.


We are honoured to be able to present excerpts from both these books and share Bronnie’s desire that you will find a way to put more heart into your home.


I AM AN INTERIOR DESIGNER. However beyond the design brief I could see families crying out for help and mums who were struggling to find the balance between working full time and juggling the many facets that are parenthood. I believe ‘Australian Vintage Living’ is a tool to help career women and busy mums to fall in love with their homes. This isn’t created by giving them a list of do’s and don’ts or by outlining a budget but rather in a way that will inspire and empower them to daily re-fall in love with their lives, families and homes. The vision for the series is to give


families the confidence to create and embrace their own vintage. Encouraging a slower pace and fuller, more complete life. The underlying story is to feel at home in your own heart and as you seek this you will be able to make anywhere home. I believe a rich life is a life filled with


purpose. Not stuff, but memories. I am a wife, a mother and a woman of God and I truly feel blessed to be able to share my gift with families around Australia. I am invited into houses to not just design their


‘dream home’ but assist in unpacking their family vintage and building a backdrop that will enrich their purpose.


LIVING LARGE – OWN THE MOMENT Discovering your family’s own vintage requires you to be present in the moment. That involves not being occupied with the things of yesterday or concerned about the things for tomorrow, but rather, being alive in the moment right now. After all, that’s all we own – the right now. We can’t change yesterday or borrow from tomorrow, but we can own the moment – completely! Alive in the moment, what an exciting


thought! With the busyness of life as we know it in the 21st century, life can fly by in the blinking of an eye. One day the children are being nursed on your knee, and then, in what seems like just a moment, you’re coaching them in the ways of life. Establishing your story may start


with a theme, colours you love, a piece of furniture you inherited or maybe even your hobbies. It is all about building chapters within the story that lead you from the kitchen to the bathroom to the bedroom to the study.


SHARING A FEAST OF THE SENSES Having friends over to a high tea is just the norm around our home. I love spending time with friends old and new and serving them with the very best I have to offer. Friends should be cherished, and pampering them is what I enjoy the most. Baking cakes with a pinch of love, setting the table with beautiful china and bringing joy to the table with a big, blushing array of blooms is just so much fun! Pretend to be royalty for the afternoon! My collection of teapots is used on a


weekly basis. All my friends love their tea, and I enjoy setting up a pot of tea on a tray when they visit. Display beautiful fabrics


with pride to add a touch of colour to any room, but remember to rotate them to avoid sun damage and store with lavender to keep them fresh!


CHILDREN’S SPACES – CHERISH FOR A LIFETIME When our adventure in Melbourne commenced, as a family we were excited to have the opportunity to live in the metropolitan area, so that we could embrace the city sights and atmosphere. However, it came at a price! We had to downsize from our six-bedroom house on acreage to a two-bedroom apartment with only a communal laundry and a back step: yes, that’s right, no garden, no acreage where children could run free and wear themselves out! But we were optimistic and ready to think big! As a consequence of downsizing, the


children had to share a bedroom. Hubby and I convinced the kids on the long drive down that this was going to be such an exciting adventure and being able to share a room would be a memory they would cherish for a lifetime. As a team, Hubby and I sold this vision and the kids were ready to live the dream. The key to sharing any communal


space, whether it is a children’s bedroom, lounge, or a kitchen, is that all parties involved must respect one another’s areas and things. Setting this space up was no exception. The children all had a space to call their own and maintain. Together, they were able to learn how to live large in a small space. Rooms of fun are created, not bought.


They evolve with each child’s personality. Kayziah’s kitchen and ironing board are set up ready for service, while Nate’s army soldiers and Isaiah’s ships are positioned for prominent viewing. Together, in our small apartment, the children enjoyed a season of building memories that will last a lifetime. Since our original move to Melbourne,


we have moved to a larger home, so I could set up a studio and the kids could


have a back yard. Our new home allowed Isaiah, Nate and Kayziah to each have a bedroom of their own. The first night we stayed in our new home, we put the children to bed and, when Hubby and I headed for bed a couple of hours later, we went in to check on Nate, but he wasn’t there. So we quickly hurried into Isaiah’s room and he, also, was not to be found. In a panic, we rushed into Kayziah’s room to find all the kids on the floor, fast asleep, lying top to toe. It is in moments like this that you really see the beauty of living in small areas. The bond the children had created over our two years of living in a small space made a big impact on their lives that they will never forget – and neither will we.


TIME OUT – INSPIRE YOUR MIND When life gets a hold and the weeks blend into one, taking time to rest is normally positioned at the bottom of the list with doing the ironing, and cleaning the shoes. Creating a comfy environment can be


the change needed to start the ball rolling in the direction for setting aside time for rest, recharging and sharpening of the soul. Without quiet time for thoughts to


develop, we can find ourselves building on ‘sandy ground’. Sometimes in the midst of busyness, the most unnatural thing can be just what is needed – time out! When you take time to reflect on the task at hand or the work that lies ahead, you will find the things that do not bear fruit will tend to fall away, making way for new growth and refreshing thoughts. Where there are fresh thoughts flowing you will see new ideas take root and flourish. Take this time to rest the soul, restore a joyful sprit and inspire your mind.


THANK YOU Thank you to my Heavenly Father for blessing me with this gift, giving me the strength to see it through and opening the door to the hearts of the many people who have made this dream possible.


july 2012 09


Photography by Frank Hurrell


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