Home tour: Jo Stanley, broadcaster

Jo Stanley is one busy lady. At the end of last year she finished up a decade of breakfast radio on Fox FM. She now does weekend breakfast nationally (because she can’t get enough of the 4am wakeups obviously). She is a regular on The Project, a columnist, a mumma bear to Willow, wife to Darren and to top it off, she’s renovating her home.

Jo has been in her house for three years. It’s a beautiful big home, with plenty of room and a to die for back yard if you have wee ones. We forced ourselves upon her front door and she welcomed us in to take some snaps. Her and Darren have been renovating it for two years. It has had its challenges, but as they near the finished product, I for one think it will have just been worth all the blood sweat and tears.

How would you describe what it looked like before you renovated? 

“A previous owner had turned the Art Deco duplex into one residence, and ran out of money. The people we bought it off had renovated it, using VERY bright colours. Walls throughout the house were a mixture of yellow, jade green and pink.

“Also, there were very few large windows, particularly on the north facing wall, so consequently it was very dark inside. The garden at the front was over run with a falling down wood paling fence and a carport that was not in keeping with the era at all. In a nutshell, I would have described the house as having been betrayed!”

How would you describe your home now?

“Our focus has been to restore the period features in the original part of the house and get some natural light into the newer parts of the house.  We aim for clean lines and the perfect mix of Art Deco with contemporary living.”

What is your favourite part of the house?

“I love my ‘room for best’!  I don’t get to spend much time in there, but I love sitting in amongst my favourite art works and some precious pieces I’ve brought back from Paris, looking out through the lead light doors, watching my beautiful Willow playing on the lawn. A glass of something bubbly always adds to the moment too!”

What are your favourite homewares store, blogs & magazines?

“For furniture, I shop almost exclusively at vintage stores. I love Izzi and Popo in South Melbourne, Capocchi in Armadale and any of the amazing vintage stores in Collingwood. Online I’m not that well-researched except, I’m a bandit for Pinterest and Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘Goop’. And mag wise, I don’t really have time for such things, but Shaynna Blaze’s book Design Your Home is a fave resource.”

Would you say you have a certain style when it comes to your home?

“I think my style is very much about the perfect piece for the perfect spot. I’ve always got in the back of my mind the areas in my home that need decorating, but I won’t just go out and buy a quick fix. I’ll wait until I find the perfect individual fit, which can sometimes mean it takes me years to complete a design idea. But that’s the way it is with vintage and antique furniture, and I’m in no hurry!”

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