A Vintage Collectors Dreamy Inner City Apartment
Images by Greta van der Star
Over the last 18-months vintage resellers have found a captive audience on platforms like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace with an array of new accounts popping up seemingly every day. For this feature we were lucky to speak to Ron Goh, the talented curator behind one of our favourites. Ron’s business, @MrHomebody, which remains a side-hustle is a beautifully curated gallery of vintage finds shot mostly at his apartment in Freemans Bay, Auckland. We visited Ron at the apartment he shares with his partner and two “senior dogs” -- a Chihuahua & Miniature Schnauzer to chat about his ever changing collection of art & objects and some of his favourite local spots.
“We’ve been living here for almost 5 years. There are so many things to love about our place. Firstly, the location is super convenient because it is right in the heart of Auckland CBD, while still being reasonably quiet in the evenings, you can even hear the bird sounds in the morning because we are very close to a large park. Something else we enjoy is how unique and special our building is - at nearly 100 years old, it retains much of the original charm and character. It used to be a factory back in the 1920s through to the late 80’s when it was converted into four units.“
“I love the high ceilings and all the details from the factory days - the exposed brick, beams and oil stained floorboards really give it a unique character. Filtered light comes from all directions, and inset glass bricks let the sun flood through from sunrise to sunset. I love sitting in the lounge area and watching the light change throughout the day.”
Ron’s bed is dressed in a 100% linen duvet cover, flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillowslips in pinstripe navy and extra pillowslips in tan.
“Our bedroom is where I recharge my energy after a long day interacting with people. I appreciate some quiet time to myself cuddling with the dogs in bed, especially during a chilly winter in NZ.”
“My mother has always been a collector. I guess that's where I got my collecting habit from. She loves collecting beautiful natural stones and rocks during her travels and filling the family home with these warm reminders. I’ve brought a few of these back with me from my hometown in Penang, Malaysia and they remind me of home.”
“I love the diversity of living in Auckland. There's no shortage of interesting places to explore and talented people. K Road is one of my favorite precincts with great cafes including my favourite Bestie in Saint Kevins Arcade. It makes the most of a great light filled space and interior features. I love soaking in the sunlight while enjoying their bottomless filter coffee. It’s a magical place to kick off your day. After breakfast you can wander along the road to find some of the best vintage, second hand, record shops in Auckland. It’s always happening there, day and night.”
“When I was little my parents made sure I experienced and learned different things, from music to swimming & drawing. Through some of these after-school pursuits, I found that drawing was something that was able to hold my attention, and I happened to be good at it! I moved to New Zealand when I was twenty three to pursue my dream of beginning a career and living independently in a foreign country by myself.”
“I'm currently a full time Digital Designer in an advertising agency. I love to be creative and productive outside of my standard work routine. In the evenings and weekends however, you’ll find me in a never ending search for interesting furniture and new home decor trends to experiment with within our own airy loft space. This passion of mine led to starting up MrHomebody, as there are plenty of finds I love but just don’t have the space to keep.”
“I don’t usually buy anything that I wouldn’t use myself, so a good number of pieces end up taking residence in our loft for a time before something new comes along to take its place. One thing that’s stuck around for longer than I expected is a quirky looking roman column coffee table. To be honest it isn't a comfortable table to be around but it really makes the living room.”
“I love to spend time at home doing my own thing. I’ll tune into some lo-fi beats with coffee while restoring and polishing the vintage pieces that I find in my spare time. I will usually take photos of them and upload them to my mrhomebody Instagram, and I've found this to be my passion. I enjoy the search, restore and moving along process a lot."
“For the rest of 2021, hopefully I will be able to travel again. I am particularly looking forward to going back to Malaysia to see my family. This is the longest it’s ever been for me to have not met with them, and I am sure there are plenty of others in the same situation.”
Ron’s bed is dressed in a 100% linen duvet cover, flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillowslips in pinstripe navy and extra pillowslips in tan