Renovated over time, the family home features sentimental and personal pieces collected by Tigmi founders Danielle McEwan and Julian Packshaw, such as the Fredericia Spanish chair.
Not one, but two historic churches have been painstakingly converted into a family home by the founders of eclectic homeware brand Tigmi. Not surprisingly, it’s a space filled with artisan and handmade pieces collected from some of the most exotic places around the world.
Travelling the world and sourcing the beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces that showcase culture, and heritage is all part and parcel of day-to-day life for the founders behind Tigmi, Danielle McEwan and Julian Packshaw. So, when it came to renovating and decorating their own home, it has been a slow process of refinement. Danielle and Julian first purchased the property around 17 years ago, but this wasn’t just an empty plot of land—it came with two historic churches in Byron Bay’s hinterland.
The couple has set about adapting both the original 18th-century building and the later 1950s addition, finding ways to unify them into a family home. The project initially began with consultation from an architect friend, Dominic Finlay Jones, but the pair decided to tackle it themselves, working with some “amazing local builders and artisans to ensure our vision was realised”.
How does your home reflect the ethos and style of Tigmi?
Danielle McEwan: At the heart of Tigmi is creating spaces with soul that evoke and inspire—our home is very much that to us. It holds pieces that we have collected over time and that are special to us in various ways. It is a mix of memories of travels, of friends, family, and artists we love, and pieces that have been handed down to us from loved ones.
How did you select the furnishings and decor pieces? Are there any that hold particular significance or stories?
Danielle McEwan: Over the years, we have collected some furniture pieces that bring us immense joy and comfort, including our recently launched Tigmi-designed Nara sofa. We also have vintage finds such as the Percival Lafer MP81 armchair, a pair of Børge Mogensen Safari chairs, a pair of Soriana chairs, and the striking Oliver De Schriever mirror that hangs above the fireplace.
Everything we have has a story attached to it, either a piece gifted by artist friends, collected on our travels or passed down by family members.
Zellige tiles line the kitchen; every element reflects Tigmi’s ethos, infused with handmade quality.
What was the most challenging part of designing and renovating this space?
Danielle McEwan: While the buildings themselves were in good condition, they were used as a church in a previous life so there was much to upgrade before we could even begin decorating. We spent the first few years working on the infrastructure and ensuring the foundations were solid. Once that was completed, we focused on creating a modern home that worked for our family within the confines of two big open-plan buildings.
It has been a journey working out how to do this respectfully; however, given the buildings were quite austere in their approach and without too many flourishes, we were able to add our modern elements that enhanced their unique features. The biggest challenge was defining spaces within two large open buildings. We divided the two churches into sleeping and living quarters and then managed to build some spaces into the existing floor plan.
We also wanted to let more light in and blur the line between the interior and exterior while keeping the integrity of the original buildings. We completely opened up one wall in the cement church with custom-designed steel-framed doors that mirrored the simple window design of the original building. In the timber church, we sourced beautiful doors from Argentina installed to add light and warmth and enable us to look out into the incredible landscape every morning.
Is there a specific room or corner of the house that you find especially calming or inspiring?
Danielle McEwan: The open-plan kitchen, living room, and dining room open onto the courtyard and lush green landscape. The light is so beautiful in the mornings and late afternoons. It’s also where we spend most of our time entertaining family and friends.
How does the surrounding environment influence the feeling of your home?
Danielle McEwan: The environment informs everything—we are on a little parcel of land in the hinterland of Byron. It’s so incredibly beautiful, and even after so many years of living here, it still takes my breath away every single day.
How do you see this home evolving in the future?
Danielle McEwan: The remaining stage, as our lovely architect friend Dom Finlay Jones so beautifully said, is to make the buildings ‘join hands’ with a simple connection. In the meantime, the daily reminder of the landscape that surrounds us—whether getting soaked in the rain or looking up and enjoying the stars as we move between the buildings—is not lost on us.
The living area features the Cassina Soriana armchairs and Tigmi Nara modular sofa 01.
Tigmi co-founder Danielle McEwan
In the primary bedroom, the textural Cappelen Dimyr No. 02 rug hangs above the bed, featured alongside the Tigmi Le Marais rug in Muscade.
The Oi Soi Oi pendant in the en suite.
Every detail brings a sense of heritage, such as the Tigmi Curve mirror.
“The daily reminder of the landscape that surrounds—whether it is through getting soaked in the rain or looking up and enjoying the stars as we move between the buildings—is not lost on us.”
– Danielle McEwan
The indoor-outdoor connection is a central part of the renovated home.
The Tigmi Soleil chairs in the outdoor patio.
Original details of the church are still visible, giving respect and reverence to the history of the site.
