At home with. . . Hannah and Alex
A beautifully restored Queenslander full of understated comfort and cosy corners to relax in, we dropped in on Hannah and Alex for afternoon drinks by the fire and to admire those perfectly manicured hedges.
Published 09 May 2024
Photography: Castle and Crown
Q. TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF?
So I'm actually a Toowoomba girl originally (Hannah) and Alex is a Brisbane boy, and we were living in Brisbane, and moved to Toowoomba just over 3 years ago. Alex is a Project Manager and my background is as an ex-valuer and now a real estate agent and we wanted to be closer to family, friends and an all-round less chaotic lifestyle than Brisbane. Alex has a daughter Everly, and we welcomed Fergus into the world in 2023 along with our fur babies, Lulu and Lenny.
Q. WHAT WERE YOU LOOKING FOR IN YOUR HOME?
When we were looking, we wanted our next purchase to be our family home. We lived in a little highset postwar home in Brisbane, and we were adamant than when we moved to Toowoomba we would buy a single level character on a larger block that we could call home for at least 10 years. The home was way too big for us at the time but we knew we could grow into it. Coming from a family that has bought, renovated and sold many character Queenslander homes throughout Toowoomba, I always dreamt that when we moved to Toowoomba, we would also own a character home. There's a cute little studio adjacent to the house that was also such an added bonus! (and is now my office).
Q. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT YOUR HOME?
We love how beautiful it is, love how light and bright it is, and we love how there are many different locations to enjoy the sunrise, sunset or a just a nice day. We also love the location in town and how close it is to all the local amenities.
Q. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE RENO?
We had so much to do when we bought it. The garden was overgrown and unloved, and the house itself was pretty run down externally when we purchased it. This has meant lots of work to the façade, paint, balustrading and the finer details internally plus the landscaping. We won’t do too much more to the outside yet because out next plan is a pool and a deck extension off the sunroom. Big plans but may have to wait until our kids are a bit older.
Q. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING AND MOST REWARDING DETAILS ABOUT RENOVATING?
Reward – the final product definintely. Were big believers in doing things once, so this means doing things right! Sourcing the cast iron fretwork, ensuring the courtyard was in line with our vision and overall aesthetic was time consuming but it all pays off in the end.
Challenges – We take a while to decide, so waiting for things to be done and come to fruition and be frustrating. Also the upkeep with a character home can be tedious sometimes…...Ask Alex!
Q. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD?
The location and the people!! We have the most gorgeous neighbors and we from the minute we moved in have felt welcomed. They look out for us and we look out for them. The street trees and surrounding homes are also beautiful and we love walking around the area and seeing all the other families out and about. We are also under 10 minutes to nearly anywhere you want to go in Toowoomba. Its amazing. In Brisbane we would have to allow 45 minutes to get anywhere - a source of great frustration when we are all so busy already.
FAVOURITE WEEKEND SPOT TO:
PERK UP: Wendlands Fine Foods
RELAX: Queens Park
EAT: The Baker’s Duck
INDULGE: East Spaces
SHOP: Harolds Finishing Touches
CATCH UP: Sweet Talk
BE INSPIRED: VFit
