Can you tell us what you were like as a kid, growing up, did you collect? Did you get dragged around markets or were your parents total minimalists and it scared you? 

My first purchase was a little glass Murano paperweight from a garage sale. Age 4, obviously I had no idea it was italian, i\I was just mesmerised by the cut candy looking things in the bottom. We never had much in my family and a lot was squandered so I think that having something you could have forever vs a temporary fix always seemed the obvious answer for me. There was so much disorder in the house i grew up in but the weird thing is dad was very strict on cleanliness and we were forever doing chores. Although the rooms were pretty sparsely furnished he did collect odd trinkets and displayed them in odd ways, nailing things to the wall or sort of packing objects. On school holidays I got to spend time with Mum and for a young boy from the country her house seemed like something out of a magazine. There were things in her home that were just for beauty or comfort. Flowers and pillows. Things that were taken care of and cherished. I guess on return from school holidays I would yearn for this and learn to make do with what we had and perhaps curate the total shit we had into something prettier.

I'd forgotten until today about Narelle, she was my stepmother's best friend with these two giant german shepherds that scared the shit out of me. About once a month for a couple of years from maybe 11? She would take me with her to help at markets. She sold total crap, sort of cookie jars and naf figurines, real kind of country grandma stuff (different in Australia). But she killed it every time. We would wake up super early and drive to different places and once we were set up she would let me have a look around the markets with $10. I have no idea what I bought at those times but I think that's where I learnt to sort of hone in on objects and to start to feel that gut reaction to something.

What was your vision behind MA House Supply Store, and how has it evolved over time? 

Well when I started my business I was just MA HOUSE essentially a space to  hire for photoshoots and events. I was working for a skip hire company for 7 years and had no degree to fall back on. I knew I wanted to work with furniture and objects aside from my personal collection and opening a shop seemed the easiest way to get a seat at the table. Fast forward 5 years and 3 with MA house supply store and I can't say that there is a vision for the future. I'm someone who kind of manifests subconsciously. There is no business plan or goal sheet. I often just imagine a future me living day to day in a happy content way but not really sure what that is.

You’re definitely not a minimalist, but can you describe your style? 

My most overused word is eclectic. I love a lot of things and I don't think I ever chose to be a collector but I am. It kind of surprises me that the masses don't have room for range. Most pick a certain style or theme and stick with it. Some are driven by trends or keeping up with the jones’ but I think I'm just truly in love with everything I own. It's very hard to explain without sounding kooky or over emotional but i dont think about ‘style’ I think about how I want a space to feel. I think about the characters that would inhibit a room like this. I think about people talking and laughing in a room. The things I own make up the style and I just have to put them together to be enjoyed.

You obviously have an amazing eye... What draws you to a specific object? Is it instinct, story, material, or something else? 

All of the above but mostly instinct. I've bought many things on the cheap that turned out to be very high end special items. I dont know this beforehand, i just see the thing and something goes off inside. The quality, the composition the material but also this thing in my gut that goes ‘shit thats nice’

Your collection at MA House Supply Store is beautifully curated, how do you define a meaningful object or piece? 

That's a lovely compliment. Obviously you have focal points or things you really want to show off. But as a shopkeeper first I have to make sure that everything is working in harmony. Having three distinct rooms to play with certainly helps. At the end of the day if something sells, that can change the whole vibe of the space, so you're forever rearranging and merchandising. In this process you might move everything from one table to another to clean the table and have a reset. In that moment the other table has everything sort of thrown on in a haphazard way with no thought or meaning and in these moments I’ve learnt a lot. The surprising combination of things that go together. That symmetry is not always key. That something from the 19th century CAN live happily with something made yesterday. It's a forced experiment and as I said it's taught me a lot.

Has there ever been a piece you regretted letting go, or one you’ll never part with? 

My biggest regret selling was a pair of columns that had been imported from France by the previous owner. They were used as set decoration and I guess were just perfectly aged. I didn't want to sell them at the time but the rent was due and it had been a bad month. The lady who bought them is really nice and she even offered to sell them back, something I might take her up on in a good month.

What are your go to destinations for finding beautiful objects? 

Markets and really big overwhelming antique bazaars. Preferably remote untouched and a bit buried in. The hunt is my favourite. If the conditions are right (I’ve gone to the bathroom and eaten) I can spend hours digging in and that's normally when I find the best stuff. I hate shopping with people. I don't want to chat. I have to be fully in it with a clear head. It's a zoning out but a zoning in. It's better when you have a shop. You're not overthinking everything and you know in your mind you don't have to keep this forever. A normal person at a market has to be more discerning and think through their purchase. I get to buy something because I think it's beautiful and I think someone will buy it.

How does your environment in Melbourne inspire your work and philosophy?  

I grew up mostly in the country. In Australia we would call it a shit hole. It's 3 hours from Melbourne by train. It's not all rolling hills and gorgeous bush where I came from. Essentially the suburbs but in the middle of nowhere. There were no cultural institutions, no beautiful shops or restaurants. It was a utilitarian one size fits all kind of place. When I would come to Melbourne to see mum or on school excursions I would be in heaven. I loved the buildings and masses of people and most of all the variety. In the gold rush Victorian era Melbourne was referred to as “Marvellous Melbourne” an influx of migration brought architects and tradespeople from all around the world. At that time Melbourne was seen as on par with Paris and I think a bit of that magic remains. At least for me. On the train home back to the commission house we lived on in a sad street in the middle of nowhere I would yearn to go back there. This has really instilled something in me that I think my friends have outgrown. I love this place, I love its seasons, there's a nostalgia I still feel everyday. Melbourne has had its boom times and migration from many places means that there are beautiful things to be found in antique stores.

If someone is visiting Melbourne, where would you take them? 

The botanic gardens and within that complex a garden called fern gully. It's so unbelievably peaceful and beautiful. I'd tell them to get a tram from flinders street down Elizabeth street but to not look at the street but to look up to see Melbourne like it was in its hey day. I'd walk them down gore street in Fitzroy or take them to east Melbourne where my favourite park is and where all the houses are perfect. I'd take them to mount Dandenong to the Nicholas gardens. I'd go to the Napier quarter or cams kiosk. I'd walk them along the river. I'd take them to St Kilda not to see the beach but the mansions built for when it was considered a seaside escape. I'd go to queen vic market and get a borek. And I'd definitely tell them to get a bahn mi. But Melbourne is big and I would tell them to not judge it on its cbd or one suburb. Every neighbourhood has its specialties and reason for being. Its own little intricacies and culture.