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My Space: inside the 100-year-old home of Annabella La Pegna and Andrew Williams

Clare Ryan STM
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Annabella La Pegna and Andrew Williams at home in West Leederville.
Camera IconAnnabella La Pegna and Andrew Williams at home in West Leederville. Credit: Ross Swanborough/ Ross Swanborough

The 100-year-old home of Annabella La Pegna and Andrew Williams was ready for a renovation.

“It’s an old house of my family’s, and the whole process of renovating dragged on a bit and took about 18 months, so my mum and I nicknamed the house Shambles,” laughs Williams, who works at Design Farm.

“I’m voting for a rebrand to Greenhouse because the house has accents of green throughout.”

They gave the front of the West Leederville house a little face lift and completely gutted the back, to make way for a new kitchen, living, bathroom, laundry and garden.

“We had planned to just renovate the bathroom and kitchen, but as we peeled away we realised it needed more work than we thought,” he says.

The renovated kitchen, with the heirloom wooden drinks cabinet on the left.
Camera IconThe renovated kitchen, with the heirloom wooden drinks cabinet on the left. Credit: Ross Swanborough/ Ross Swanborough

Connecting seamlessly to the original front, the new extension features jarrah floorboards and terrazzo tiles.

“Andrew picked the terrazzo tiles in the bathroom and the laundry, which makes doing the laundry not so bad,” laughs La Pegna, co-founder of Bottega Deli.

Feature tiles in the bathroom.
Camera IconFeature tiles in the bathroom. Credit: Ross Swanborough/ Ross Swanborough

Filled with nostalgia, the house features family heirlooms, Facebook Marketplace treasures and unique designer pieces.

“There are so many cool brands that we stock at Design Farm, and I just want to take them all home,” he laughs. “We love our Dowel Jones pieces (Thimble chair and Volta coffee table).”

Among the couple’s cherished furniture is an old drinks cabinet passed down from Williams’ grandmother.

“It was bought from Benskys in 1973 for $1000, the same price that you could have bought a car for. The invoice is still in the top draw, and we styled the house around the piece,” he explains.

Vibrant colour accents and culinary inspirations fill the main living area, as well as a large artwork gifted by La Pegna’s father.

Artwork brings colour to the home.
Camera IconArtwork brings colour to the home. Credit: Ross Swanborough/ Ross Swanborough

“Dad came over one day and said we needed something big and colourful on the wall, so he gifted us this piece of his and it works perfectly,” she explains.

Every corner of the house is styled with personal treasures, encapsulating the couple’s shared loves and experiences.

“We moved into the house just before a trip to Japan, so we came back to a house full of boxes,” says La Pegna. “We both love Japanese pop culture and design and were inspired by the trip and came home with lots of knick-knacks.”

Infused with nostalgic pop art touches, the house is a playful space, thanks to anime references adding a touch of fun.

“We always have people over and I love the design of the kitchen because I can be in the kitchen preparing a platter or cooking something and everyone is next to me in the lounge room,” she says.

The renovation is in its final stages, with the gardens next on the agenda.

“I’d love massive hedges all down the side and a little veggie garden and massive citrus trees, but for now we love it,” explains La Pegna.

The house has touches of green throughout, including in the bedroom.
Camera IconThe house has touches of green throughout, including in the bedroom. Credit: Ross Swanborough/ Ross Swanborough

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