Where and how long have you lived in Sydney’s east:
After living in Perth, then London, I moved to Sydney 8 years ago. I initially lived in Paddington, but then moved to Coogee where my now husband was living. That was 6 years ago – I have been a Coogee local ever since!
How many children:
Two boys. A one year-old and three year-old.
Favourite Park:
Cooper Park (or the rainforest park as my son calls it). It’s such an oasis and great for kids to go exploring!
Favourite Beach:
If I’m with the kids, then it would have to be Coogee. It’s within walking distance from home and the ocean pool at the south end of the beach is great for a splash and playing in the sand.
If I’m child free then you can’t beat a dip at Wylie’s Baths. It’s an absolute slice of Heaven and a great place to take a book and sip a coffee post swim.
Favourite kid friendly cafe:
The Greenhouse Café in Centennial Park. It’s always nice to sit outside on a sunny day, and it’s conveniently next to the bike track and playground, so ticks all the boxes.
Favourite Coffee Spot:
Morning Glory Café. Its right on the Coogee Promenade, and a beautiful spot to sit and watch the waves roll in.
Favourite date night place:
For a drink, you can’t beat Coogee Wine Room. The wines are superb and the interior is warm and inviting.
I am also a huge fan of The Apollo in Potts Point. The saganaki cheese is AMAZING!
Favourite Local Day Out Activity:
The Paddington Market on a Saturday morning is always fun and has such a great vibe. I like to support local businesses where I can.
Favourite Local Shop:
This is a hard one, as I work with so many great suppliers! Oliver Thom in Woollahra is definitely one of my favourites. They stock the most divine bathroom products. I love popping in and checking out all the new goodies!
Favourite wet weather location:
Having 2 active young boys, The Coogee Pavillion has been our go-to on many rainy Sydney days. The kids play area is fantastic for babies and toddlers and there’s plenty of room to meet friends.
Describe an ideal day in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for you?
It would definitely start with a solo swim at either Wylie’s Baths or Mahon Pool. I’d then pick up a coffee and Portuguese tart from The South Coogee Bakehouse. If you have not tried these Portuguese tarts, then you are missing out!
We’d then head to Centennial Park with the scooters so the boys can burn some energy, before enjoying another coffee and some lunch.
Both my boys still nap, so we’d all head home for a midday siesta, followed by an afternoon of playing trains and building bear caves.
We love catching up with friends for an early dinner, so in the afternoon we’d head to The Field at Easts Rugby. It’s so great for families. The kids can run onto the field and kick a ball and the food is fantastic.
What area of the east have you yet to explore much but would like to?
Camp Cove and other harbour beaches. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches in the East. I feel I need to make more of an effort to get out and try more of them!
Work or SAHM:
I’m the owner and creative director of The Style Chapter Co – a boutique interior styling company. I help families create their ideal home, whether they have recently purchased a new home, renovated or would just like to update their existing furniture and soft furnishings.
Sometimes people have an idea of how they’d like their home to look but they’re not quite sure where to start, or some are not sure where to go to source beautiful, good quality furniture. Particularly after renovating or moving house, families suffer ‘decision fatigue’ and need a fresh pair of eyes to come in and help them.
Having an interior stylist work with you saves so much time and money and leaves everyone excited about completing the home! It’s such a rewarding job, I love seeing the transformations and my clients’ reactions.
Motherly advice:
We’re all in it together. Surround yourself with good people. Accept help from family and friends and join a mothers group. It really does take a village!
ESM OFFER
For the month of August, The Style Chapter Co is offering ESM 2 hour Kickstart Consultations for $200 (normally $250) where you will have Debbie in your home for 2 hours to provide on the spot interiors advice. This could be regarding furniture layout, design style, colour scheme, artwork, rug selections…the list goes on!
Contact www.thestylechapterco.com.au
