Lauren Brennan, Bondi Beach NSW
Like many of the apartments that line the energetic curve of Bondi Beach, Lauren Brennan's is beautiful, but tiny. Nevertheless it's a space that is refreshing and comforting, where greenery sits in every corner and personal treasures are given pride of place. The space is the perfect reflection of its tenant, exhibiting a warm-hearted nature and a distinct self-awareness. We spent a morning with Lauren, getting to know her habits and learning more about her work as a Radiation Therapist.
Tell us about your line of work. How did you get into it?
I'm a Radiation Therapist at one of the big public hospitals in Sydney. Not many people that I speak to have heard of this title before, but we treat cancers using very precise high energy X rays. I studied a few different things when I finished school, but I come from a very medical family and when nothing else felt right I found myself looking at different professions in allied health and fell upon this one. 
With such an emotionally and physically demanding workspace, how do you take care of yourself outside of work?
I think for me it's important to keep work very separate from home life. I need to live by the water and spend a lot of time outside. I also need to create a calm environment at home, I like the apartment to be filled with lots of natural light, plants and beautiful books. And I love everything to be white!
To the market: IN BED linen market bag hanging in Laura's home
Are there any other types of self-care that you practice?
I used to do a lot of yoga when I was growing up and I'm starting to get back into it again now. My favourite studio in Bondi is just down the road from our apartment which makes it easier to motivate myself. And sometimes during my lunch break at work I sneak away for a massage. 
Are there any specific relationships from your childhood that you feel have shaped who you are today?
I grew up in the far Northern Beaches of Sydney in a beautiful relaxed coastal environment that was impossible to appreciate fully until I'd grown up and left it. My partner Chris and I love getting back there for weekends to catch up with my school friends whenever we can. I feel so lucky that we still have such strong connections with each other 10 years after school, and would have to consider my relationships with them some of the most influential in shaping who I am. Avalon seems to foster creative people and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by them and their work.
I feel so lucky that we still have such strong connections with each other 10 years after school, and would have to consider my relationships with them some of the most influential in shaping who I am. Avalon seems to foster creative people and I feel so lucky to be surrounded by them and their work.
Tell us about your plants, your apartment is full of them and they all look so healthy. Do you have a favourite?
I really love plants! Especially living in tiny apartments with no balcony I think it helps warm up the space and bring the outdoors in. Chris gave me my first one when I was living in my first Bondi apartment 4 years ago, and since then you could say it's become an obsession, collecting them. It's really hard to pick a favourite, but I've loved watching the fiddle leaf fig change, it used to be a tiny pot plant on a shelf and now its more than half my height.
I really love plants! Especially living in tiny apartments with no balcony I think it helps warm up the space and bring the outdoors in.
How did you meet your partner Christophe?
We met 4 years ago when I moved here, he was living in the apartment downstairs with two friends and I always heard the best music coming out of their place. I met them in the hallway a few times and eventually they invited me to come over for Friday drinks. We've all been friends ever since. Things between Chris and I developed from there. I think our first kiss was on the dance floor at Beach Road Hotel. 
What are some other things in your home that bring you joy?
My record player and some artworks by my favourite artist and best friend Lucinda Jones. She has such a strong style which is so true to her and I love the colour that it brings into the space. I have a few throughout the apartment, and my eye on a few more in her collection. 
Perfectly paired IN BED white linen duvet cover, Stone & Stripe pillowslip sets
Do you have a morning routine?
I'm terrible in the morning during the week. Chris gets up earlier than me and he makes me a coffee in bed which is a godsend. On the weekends it's much easier of course, I love heading to the farmers' market first thing, buying produce for the week and bumping into friends there. And then it's straight to the beach. 
A bedtime routine?
Either a glass of red wine or a green tea to wind down. We've been watching Netflix in bed a lot lately, Chris falls asleep straight away so I get to choose whatever we're watching. 
What do you like to make for Sunday night dinner when it’s just the two of you?
Sunday nights are really lazy for us. We usually spend the last hours of sun on the rocks at Ben Buckler, it’s our favourite place. Once the light disappears we might head to our friend’s restaurant El Indio for some South American street food. It’s on the ground floor of our building which is very convenient.
What are you looking forward to this year? Have you set yourself any goals or intentions?
Our goal is to head to the south of France to visit Chris' family during this European summer. Then we want to visit somewhere new, just the two of us. Sicily is at the top of the list at the moment.