Since locking eyes during Network Ten’s The Bachelor Australia in 2013, much has changed for Tim and Anna Robards. Now married with daughters Elle, four, and Ruby, eight months, the pair’s Sydney home is ready for Christmas.
Who lives here?
Tim Robards, an actor, chiropractor and co-founder of wine company Elle Rosé; his wife Anna, a media personality and co-founder of Intu Wellness; and daughters Elle, four, and Ruby, eight months.
How do you celebrate Christmas? Tim: “We usually wake up in Newcastle with my family, then come back to Sydney to see Anna’s family. We’ll probably be here on Boxing Day, enjoying all the leftovers.”
Do you have any family traditions? “Last year we made gingerbread Christmas tree decorations you can eat, so that was fun.”
What’s your decorating style? “Minimalist chic, but at the same time throwing in touches of glam with shining elements of silver and gold.”
After the arrival of their first daughter, Elle, at the end of 2020, Tim and Anna were keen to upsize from their apartment in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs to somewhere a little more family-friendly. “We had a great view, but there was no balcony and it was up about five levels of stairs,” recalls Tim. “We were hanging to get a little house of our own, hopefully with a backyard.”
Just a short drive away on Sydney’s iconic coastline, they came across a pretty white place with pink bougainvillea framing the front door and ocean views from the top storey. “We fell in love with it,” recalls Tim. It was a matter of the “right place at the right time” and the couple snapped it up the day before auction, moving in at the end of 2022, around Elle’s second birthday.
Built in the 1940s, you’d never know the five-bedroom home was originally two flats, stacked one on top of the other. “The previous owner [Yuraisha Flaxman from Project Y Interiors] gutted it to the bare bones and rebuilt it,” says Tim. “It was all done and ready to move into, but we still wanted to put our own touches on it.”
So, after the family moved in, they tasked Anna’s good friend and interior designer Elissa Griffin of Winim with furnishing the main living areas and making them functional. “We wanted to start having people over, and entertaining and cooking as soon as possible,” explains Tim. “I love doing all of those sorts of things.”
Living room
There’s plenty of room for family and friends to unwrap Christmas gifts in the living area of Tim and Anna Robards’ home, courtesy of two Brosa boucle armchairs and a sofa by Crafted Furniture. The plush cushions and throw, all Pepperwhites by Tara Dennis, add contrast. A ceramic house decoration from The White Christmas Co adds a subtle festive finish on top of the Arabescato marble coffee tables.
Dining area
The dining area is perfect for festive parties with friends, decorated with white, green and a touch of gold. The table is set to suit the couple’s elegant tastes, with In The Roundhouse ‘Wave’ plates, Studio Billie candles and candlesticks, and Provincial Home Living napkins and glassware. Cutlery and placemats from Alfresco Emporium finish the look.
Kitchen
The kitchen is the hub of Tim and Robards’ home, as it opens onto the outdoor area. Pops of emerald green complement the deep blue cabinets and caramel tones in the kitchen, with a Rick Carlino artwork from M Contemporary on the wall. It’s the perfect place for guests to gather while the couple whips up a feast with their Gozney pizza oven.
“I do so many pizza days – it’s a great way to entertain a crowd. We set up all the toppings on the big kitchen island.”
Tim Robards
Main bedroom
Not long after settling in at their new dwelling, they discovered they had a second baby on the way, arriving in early 2024. That’s when the couple got serious about elevating the rest of the home. Interior decorator Claudia Lambert came onboard to inject the “touch of glam” Tim and Anna wanted upstairs, particularly in the bedrooms – one of which had fallen into “storage room” status – while toddler Elle’s bedroom was in need of “a bit of love and care”.
“Anna’s always been very chic and we wanted it to be very simple in a way, with a little bit of glam.”
Tim Robards
Ensuite
Designed by the previous owner, the vanity top in the couple’s ensuite is Carrara marble and cabinetry is rich Dulux Black Caviar. The finishing touch is ABI Interiors tapware.
Guest bedroom
They introduced dusty pinks, touchable textures and mixed metallics. “I got my painting clothes on and painted the baby room a pinky beige,” says Tim. A linen-look wallpaper transformed a couple of the other bedrooms. “Everything was white upstairs, so we wanted to soften it and make it a little prettier. I live with three girls, so it’s probably a little bit feminine upstairs,” says Tim. One of the bedrooms has been done up beautifully for guests.
“I live with three girls, so it’s probably a little bit feminine upstairs.”
Tim Robards
Elle’s bedroom
Four-year-old Elle’s room was in need of tweaking to suit her stage of life. This involved adding soft shades of pink that can grow with her, modern curves and nods to fun and play in decor items such as the mushroom-shaped lamp.
Ruby’s bedroom
With a scalloped Miss Amara rug and rounded Sarah Ellison drawers, curves abound in baby Ruby’s room. This year is the family’s first Christmas since Ruby arrived in March, so it’s sure to be a very special time for the family.
“Ruby’s bedroom was our storage room before. Knowing she was coming along spurred on the renovation.”
Tim Robards
Alfresco area
The poolside dining table is clothed with a tablecloth, runner and plates from Provincial Home Living, napkins from In The Roundhouse and napkin rings from Alfresco Emporium. Tim and Anna’s summer feasts are arranged on Casa e Cucina servingware.
We love… outdoor entertaining
“One of the big draw cards of this place is that we love entertaining, and it’s so well connected to the backyard,” says Tim. “We have these big doors that open up. Everyone can be sitting out here eating while the kids are in the pool.” Tim and Anna usually host guests for a few days before or after Christmas, celebrating over a bottle of Elle Rosé.
Pool area
“I’ve put my sauna and ice bath in the backyard,” says Tim. “We’ve got a couple of big date palms and a bunch of palm trees, so it’s like a little wellness haven out here.”
For a couple into health and fitness, a sauna and plunge bath in the backyard is the dream. It’s just what you’d expect in Tim and Anna Robards’ home.
Interior design: Winim and Claudia Lambert Interiors.
Source Book
Project management: Project Y Interiors.
Builder: J Jones Construction.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
