Life in colour.

This is home to emerging artists Tym Yee and his partner Luke Mannion and their Boston Terrier, Poppy - a trio living a life shaped by art, connection, and intentional design.

“We fell in love with our little bungalow as soon as we saw it,” Tym says. “The original part of the house was built in the late 1920s, and it has that lovely feeling older homes can have - high ceilings, honest materials, and traditional flourishes. We’ve loved layering that with contemporary art and objects.”

Layered is precisely what it has become. The home is a tactile blend of vintage finds and artistic treasures: mid-century chairs, handmade ceramic vases, and freshly cut flowers from the garden arranged under bold, expressive artwork. Two of the three bedrooms serve as the couple’s personal studios, a natural extension of their creative lives.

“Because our studios are at home, there’s a blending between the flow of everyday life and creativity,” says Luke, who is currently developing a series of still-life paintings that capture “the simple domesticity of life in a queer household.”

Tym’s own artistic practice spans portraiture, oil painting, printmaking, video, and conceptual installations. 

“The work always comes from a sense of self-discovery through creativity,” he says. “Who I am, how I feel about my place in the world, and what I’d like to express to an audience. You can learn a lot about yourself by making art.”

That spirit of curiosity and experimentation runs through their space. The couple has transformed their home into a thoughtful and evolving patchwork of style and sentiment.

“Our home is an ever-changing eclectic work in progress,” Tym explains. “We’re inspired by studios like Penman Brown, Lisa Buxton, and Sarah Davison - but on a humble budget. That means we get creative, and as a result, I’ve found some lovely pieces on Facebook Marketplace.”

Their growing art collection tells its own story. Among their most treasured pieces are a small work by Wendy Sharpe, picked up directly from her studio; a cheerful Ken Done painting of Sydney Harbour that marks Luke’s move from the UK; a Max Berry birthday gift; and a bold piece by Gerwyn Davies that Tym bought to celebrate finishing his PhD.

“They’re all special and have their own little stories, which I guess mark milestones in our little story,” Tym says. “It feels like a colourful and creative archive of our life.”

Tym’s most recent exhibition ‘Suva to Sydney’ was co-created with his father, Kevin Yee. It retraced his family’s journey from rural China to Fiji and eventually to Australia. The project was anchored in his grandfather’s memoir, a reflection on resilience, migration, and shared belonging.

“That memoir is filled with references to connection and community,” Tym says. “Caring for one another, pooling financial resources, facilitating travel, and helping community members establish themselves in a new city.”

While Tym’s experience of community looks different today, his intentionally calm suburban life with Luke continues that legacy – one that nurtures a sense of belonging, creativity and chosen family.

“Our favourite place to be is at home, pottering around the house or out in our garden,” Tym says. “But we also love walking along the water on the Northern Beaches, visiting galleries in the Inner West and City, or heading off on a local bush walk with Poppy.”

They may not be in the centre of the action, he admits, but takes comfort in certain home truths: a leafy neighbourhood, friendly neighbours, and space to relax and ponder. “That’s much more our style.”

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