After 16 years of renting, Justin Shoesmith got sick of beige walls, so he swore his new home at Rochedale South would have character.
“When I bought it, it was a mess,” he said.
“So I wanted to create something unique, something that wherever people look, they know that everything has a story.”
Mr Shoesmith gained an antique bug from his grandparents who owned an antique store near Toowoomba when he was growing up.
His father and uncle are also collectors, with camping and the outdoors well and truly in the blood.
“I used to go through dumps as a kid looking for cool stuff,” he said.
“And when I went to gran’s house, she’d show me through her collectables and antiques, telling the stories of where they came from.”
When Mr Shoesmith bought the house at 28 Woodlands Crescent, Rochedale South, he recalls it was so bad the agent had to instruct him to leave his shoes on – “it was a dump”.
Since then, it’s been an eight-year labour of love. He’s tiled and painted and re-built almost the entire house to his taste, and added an easy-to-care-for garden, including a small rainforest at the back.
“A lot of thought has gone into this,” he said.
Now, he’ll be looking for a change of scenery and is planning to open a homewares store in the country.
Ray White Daisy Hill agent Alex McLeod said that while the memorabilia didn’t necessarily come with the house, it was an interesting one to look at.
“This is not your average house,” he said. “It’s the perfect combination of privacy and tranquility while still being located in the ever-thriving suburb of Rochedale South.”
