Personal Space: At home with award-winning journalist and radio presenter Virginia Trioli

Award-winning journalist and radio presenter Virginia Trioli is ABC Radio Melbourne’s new Mornings host, taking over from veteran announcer Jon Faine.

The former TV News Breakfast anchor and Walkley Award winner lives in inner-city Melbourne with her husband Russell Skelton, the director of RMIT ABC Fact Check, and their seven-year-old son Addison.

Their modern two-storey townhouse is filled with art – there are two Tony Clarke paintings in the lounge and kitchen area. A radio sits proudly and plenty of books on history and politics are carefully stacked on the coffee table. Think On Violence by Natasha Stott Despoja and The Future is History by Masha Gessen.

Large couches hug the ample coffee table that becomes an ideal setting for afternoon tea for long discussions on Trioli’s favourite topics of cinema, art and food.

The couple built the home around 20 years ago, on a site where a condemned heritage-listed kit home once sat. The building was donated to the University of Melbourne’s Architecture Department, which removed the Gold Rush-era home one piece at a time to keep its structure intact for history’s sake.

A few of Virginia’s favourite things

Typewriter

This Olivetti Lexicon from the 1960s was my first ever typewriter, given to me by an ex-boyfriend. This design is also in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. I typed my honours thesis in cinema studies on it. It has the most satisfying thunk. I wrote many thank-you notes including the break-up note for the guy who bought it for me.

Linda Marrinon statue

Linda Marrinon is a contemporary of mine; when I finished my fine art degree at the La Trobe University I got engaged in the arts scene there and got to know Linda. I purchased this in Sydney in 2005 and love it. She started out as a painter and I have always loved her sensibility.

Photo of Addison

This photo was taken first thing in the morning a few years ago at Currimundi in Queensland while on a school holiday break. It’s of me and Addison at the beach jumping for joy and captured by my husband Russell on his mobile phone. Addison had just woken up and was still in his PJs. So that is a shot of us racing down and being in the moment.

Lekker bike

My husband gave me this bike as a Christmas present last year. She’s so pretty, I need to give her a name. It’s a Dutch bike and heavy as a tram, but it has a lovely basket. When I peddle up a hill my thighs certainly get a workout. I load it up with items from the local supermarket. I try to use it daily.

Ruffoni copper pot

I love cooking; it’s a big part of our lives at home. My husband Russell and I fell in love over cooking together. We bought this lovely line of Italian cookware – the Ruffoni copper pot – at Williams Sonoma while in San Francisco; it’s one of the great food hubs in the world and where a lot of our food thought leaders are from.  It’s easy to use although it’s quite heavy but quick to heat up and very responsive. We use this one four times a year – it’s a real presentation piece.

Instamatic camera

I love the ease of the Instamatic camera, I even bought a Hello Kitty one for my one of my nieces a few years ago. You can buy the film easily and it’s great to use around the home. These days we have so many photos on our phone but never print them, so this is great for capturing a moment. We don’t take it anywhere but bring it out at home. I bought it seven years ago.

Box of stationery

I write a lot of letters, have stamps in my wallet and like to take my time to write thank-you notes and acknowledgements to let people know I am thinking of them. I always have a box of stationery nearby. It’s a nice heavyweight set to write on with plenty of cards in there. The last few letters I wrote were to fashion designer Carla Zampatti and Mrs Betty Firth of Sippy Downs in Queensland.