Judith Bell lives in the Mount with husband Nelson and cat Missy. They have two grown-up children who often come to stay. We chat with Judith, who is both creative director of Tarnished Frocks and Divas and a stylist at Repertoire.
Three hours before the photographer arrived, this room was ankle-deep
in ribbons, lace, costumes and fabric. Yesterday my friend Robyne came over for one of our "sessions". We spend hours making costumes for the Tarnished Frocks and Divas show in September. There is only so much the mannequin can wear, so I usually try on most of the costumes. It's bedlam every time the two of us get together. It takes hours to pick up the piles of fabric strewn about the place.
After the show in September, this front room will revert back to its normal use. Nelson and I spend lots of time reading in here. It's a very feminine room. My husband and I are both collectors. He has filled the sheds and garage with all sorts of mechanical and rusty toys. I like to find little trinkets, glass bowls, decanters and jars and fill them with flowers and old jewellery. I spend 45 minutes every day on Trade Me trawling for all things vintage.
A few years ago we were looking for someone to house-sit for us while we worked in Wellington. A group of Argentinians came and fed our cats and looked after the dog. When we came home we all lived together in chaotic harmony for a while. Since then we have had a stream of visitors through our house. I think the reason they all love staying with us is because I do a lot of baking. I have always had a rather sweet tooth, as my mother made us a pudding for each evening meal throughout my childhood.
I have invited each [visitor] to write on the wall, so we have lots of messages written in any number of languages - Spanish, French, Russian, French, English. The words on the wall are beautiful. I love their permanence and the reminder of others' thoughts and views.
