The bright, 120-year-old Bangalow home of entrepreneur Courtney Adamo

Who: Courtney Adamo (co-founder of babyccino kids), husband Michael (executive producer) and their five children

What: A heritage family home

Where: Bangalow, NSW

Courtney Adamo, husband Michael and their gang of children have lived in this Bangalow house for just two months, but in that short space of time they have well and truly made it home.

Initially the family – including Easton, 13, Quin, 11, Ivy, 9, Marlow, 5, and Wilkie, one – had the hinterlands in mind, but Michael spotted this historic property on the market and persuaded Courtney to have a look.

She explains: “I walked into the house and felt at home immediately.”

The 120-year-old home provided a rich sense of character for the family to sink into, and also set the aesthetic tone for the interiors.

Courtney describes how the traditional style of the property informed the renovations, where she wanted everything to simply feel like it had always been this way.

“I felt like I had to honour this old home, and do everything in keeping with the type of home it is.”

This meant retaining the original warm wooden panelled walls, and introducing pieces that are “simple, understated and timeless” to reflect the family’s values, while maintaining fidelity to the original design.

In their first two months here, the family have reconfigured the relatively small spaces to accommodate their tribe of seven. When they moved in, the house had only three bedrooms, so creative solutions were required to make everyone comfortable. Courtney describes how “every square inch of space is used and enjoyed in our home. There is no quiet corner or room that doesn’t get used.”

At the heart of the home is the kitchen. The family splurged on their dream cooker and pretty fridge, complementing the space with marble benches and brass fittings. Courtney says these special aspects stretched them financially, but completed the room and brought great joy to the home.

The original panelled walls and wooden floors provide a rich backdrop for more colourful kids accessories and quirky details.

Courtney says that she is “quite minimal when it comes to interiors … and increasingly more so the older I get.”

This minimalism is partly born of practicality (the family shed the majority of their belongings when migrating from the UK), but is also informed by a desire to live simply and meaningfully. Her approach is to buy “only what we need, will last, and look good forever”.

This Bangalow house is a dream come true for Courtney and her family.

“This magical little corner of the world is so dreamy, I pinch myself every day that we live here.”

Simplify

Minimalism is hard. It’s even harder if you have a gaggle of kids.

Be inspired by entrepreneur, author and mother-of-five Courtney Adamo, with her tips for your home.

• Buy only what you need, things that will last and look good forever.
• Never by anything new impulsively – allow a 24-hour decision-making period.
• Practise self- awareness when you find yourself coveting random material things.
• Avoid anything too trendy or of the moment – fad trends rarely result in longevity.
• Kids really don’t need many toys to be happy. Get into a habit of handing down/passing on toys and knick-knacks as kids grow.