The painter's sunny rental home is filled with her vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired artworks.
Inside Artist Brigitte Grant’s Light-Filled Granny Flat on the Sunshine Coast
The painter's sunny rental home is filled with her vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired artworks.
Welcome to The Makers. Each week, we celebrate innovators, artisans, and crafters of all types by taking you on a private tour of their creative spaces. For this instalment, we tour emerging artist Brigitte Grant's light-filled granny flat on the Sunshine Coast which doubles as her workspace.
Deciding whether or not to turn your hobby into a full time job is an understandably daunting decision to make. The risk is usually quite high and the process involves a lot of hard work, but it's certainly an achievable goal. Emerging artist Brigitte Grant's job as a full-time painter is one such success story.
Brigitte's art career began in lockdown when she was unable to work her typical nine-to-five. Like many of us, she found herself in a position with more free time which she took advantage of by pursuing her passion for painting. She began sharing her vibrant works on Instagram and the social media platform catapulted her career. "I have always been quite creative but never really thought it possible to make a career out of it," she shares with Bed Threads Journal.
Her illustrative artworks capture a decidedly Mediterranean state of mind. Many of these vibrant vignettes depict images of lemon trees, decorative pottery, seafood plates, and summer tipples, transporting you straight to a coastal European town.
Explore the Brigitte Grant x Bed Threads print collection here.
Brigitte has worked on an exclusive print collaboration with Bed Threads, having created four lively works that are true to her summery style and showcase idyllic scenes and eclectic symbols. "I find bright prints can really make a house come to life and creates a little serotonin boost every time you see them," she says.
Her works enliven any home and bring colour and beauty to the white walls of her sunny granny flat on the Sunshine Coast. This rental abode doubles as her workspace and is filled with natural light, making it an ideal space to paint.
Although small in size, this home has a bright and fresh feel to it. The furniture within is chic yet neutral and allows for Brigitte's artworks and colourful decor to shine. She often dresses the flat with flowers and fruits which she feels uplifts the flat. "They can make any space look and feel 100x better," she says, and we couldn't agree more. In her bedroom, she has aptly chosen linen in Limoncello, an ode to the citrus fruit that frequently features in her artworks, and paired it with sunny Turmeric.
We spoke to Brigitte about the inspiration behind her new print collaboration with Bed Threads, her advice to those who want to turn their hobby into a full time job, and the styling details of her home.
Hi Brigitte! This series is called The Makers. What is it that you make?
Hello Bed Threads! I am an artist, making one-of-a-kind paintings and prints!
How does the act of “making” relate to your personality and who you are?
I have always considered myself a “maker”, I find the act of “making” very soothing, whether it be painting, cooking, decorating, creating. I just love the DIY side of things and making my vision a reality, I really enjoy the process.
Tell us about your career journey to date. Did you always know you wanted to pursue this line of work?
I began my art career in lockdown; not being able to work my usual nine-five meant I had a lot of time on my hands. I began to spend this time doing things I enjoy, like painting. I have always been quite creative, but never really thought it possible to make a career out of it. I starting sharing my work on Instagram during this time and the rest is history, I am now a full time artist!
Talk us through your creative process. Where do you start?
I branch out into many different styles in my paintings because I honestly struggle to stick to one. I love sitting down with a blank canvas and just seeing where the painting goes. I always have a colour scheme in mind and do not get me wrong, I have a vision for my works, usually from what is inspiring in the moment, but I personally find the fun in painting is just going with the flow.
We have loved collaborating with you on an exclusive set of prints. Can you tell us the inspiration behind these works?
The inspiration for these works revolves around my love of the European lifestyle and creating fun, colourful pieces for every home. I find bright prints can really make a house come to life and creates a little serotonin boost every time you see them.
What’s been the most challenging lesson learnt so far in your career?
I have been super lucky in my career and have not had too many obstacles to face as of yet despite the usual tasks of sourcing good suppliers and so on. As this was originally just a hobby and as a 24-year-old (when I started), I had no business skills whatsoever. It was an adjustment to say the least!
What’s been the best thing that’s happened to you since you started your career?
Being able to call “work” doing what I love, is the best thing. I am so grateful for the amazing people I have been able to work with and being able to work for myself.
Do you have a single piece of advice you’d give to your younger self or someone looking to pursue a similar line of work?
YES! Do what you love and stick to it. Social media is your friend, use it as the major marketing tool it is! One thing I wish I was told in school or in general life is that there is other ways to make a living, you do not have to pursue a job you are not interested in to be successful in life.
Now, the home stuff. How long have you lived in your home?
I have lived in my little granny flat for about 7 months now!
How did you initially know this was the space for you?
In the past year, rentals on the Sunshine Coast have been slim to none and beyond hard to come by at a price within reason. I was going to tonnes of inspections and never really getting anywhere. However, I was lucky enough to be scrolling Facebook’s rental section at just the right time and saw this little gem. I applied and was selected. It has been a perfect little creative spot for me so far, it has a lot character.
Did you do any renovations or make any big changes after moving in?
The walls were quite yellow and a fresh coat of white paint did wonders for the space!
Social media is your friend, use it as the major marketing tool it is!
- Brigitte Grant
Did you do any renovations or make any big changes after moving in?
The walls were quite yellow and a fresh coat of white paint did wonders for the space!
What was the thought process behind the way you’ve styled the interior?
It is a small space but I like making it cosy. Most of my decor is made by me as I cannot be out there breaking the absolute bank. I am also a huge believer in flowers and fruits to decorate. They can make any space look and feel 100x better!
What are your favourite pieces in the home?
I love my white hallway table that I use to display and market my art pieces above; it has a textured finish and iconic shape. I also love my stone plinth that I place fresh flowers or my big shell with limes on to uplift the space.
Do you have any special décor pieces you’re looking to add?
I would absolutely love a big round dining table. I am on the hunt.
Which is your favourite room in the house?
My little office/studio area is very cute and where I spend most of my time and when the afternoon sun peaks through it creates the best light. But nothing can beat a cosy bedroom with fresh linen sheets.
What are your top tips for a well-styled bedroom, and home generally?
I think you can make any space cute with the right décor pieces whether it be art, books, bedding and timeless furniture. Unfortunately, not everyone can have an amazing house or original artworks but with a couple of signature items, you can transform a space.
Do you have any projects coming up you want to talk about?
I am currently working on some new big art pieces that will be online soon, I am very excited to see what this year has in stall for me!
For more from Brigitte follow her @bg.studio__
Photography by Jessie Prince. Styling by Audrey Won.
