At home with Dee Tang, at the Lady California

Dee Tang is a freelance designer and content creator. She lives with her family in Fremantle in their Californian-style bungalow affectionally know as the Lady California. It’s a home abundant with love, whitewashed walls, a magnificent keyhole archway and bamboo furniture. Nestled amongst the leafy green garden you’ll find her husband painting murals in his artist studio Sunray Shack and welcome travellers retreating in Kawa Heart Studio, which is equipped to accommodate photo shoots and guests. Dee is mama to 3 babes – Kawa Leaf her angel child, Rafa Rose (4) & Beau Sunray (7m). I chatted with Dee about cultivating space to be creative at home. 

What is home to you?

Home is everything to our family. It is our home, workspace and studio and recharging pod all-in-one. We spent most days at home in the house or garden pre and post corona age. Rafa has a table set up in the shack so she can “work” with me. It is very much her studio as much as mine. Desmond has a separate painting studio in our converted garage, so we all have a different pod on the property to go potter off to and have our own space and time. I am very thankful for finding this home when we did. The previous owners were glass artists who planted the creative seed here and I feel we are merely custodians of the land and it is our job to continue the creative spirit of the space and to invite other imaginative beings into the space to do so too.

Give us your tips on living with artists. 

Don’t move their sh*t, every pile has a purpose. Give them their own space to create. Always wet the bristles first. Grubby hands are working hands. Paint stained pants are de rigueur. Don’t mess with their palette. Encourage and feed them. Love them forever.

The meal you love making the most right now is?

Spelt pasta with vegan mince and roasted pumpkin and whatever leftover veggies. I love it because my little man Beau Sunray can pick up the spelt spirals and mash it into his face himself (he is 7 months) and my girl Rafa (4yo) will always have two bowls and Desmond is always fooled by the fake mince.

Five things about you... 

When I do less…

I enjoy life more.

I have learnt to live without…

my own car! we recently downsized to one family car and will get an e-bike soon as our back up wheels.

I care more about …

spirituality, greater purpose and serving mother earth more than ever before.

I care less about …

making mundane conversation just for the sake of making conversation. socialising for the sake of socialising. doing anything outside the realm of being related to passion or purpose.

I can’t live without …

A cuppa chai or two in the morning. I brew chai with reishi and ashwagandha every morning. I generally brew it for a good 20-30 mins while I sit down to meditate and stretch. I love to pour it into a winterwares mug or latté cup to savour.
dee

Winterwares stoneware mug on an art tableWinterwares stoneware mug on an art table

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