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Creatives at Home: Alice and Richie in Their Living Room Studio
This happy living room plays host to two creatives making furniture, homewares and planter boxes in Sydney
Richie Northcott and Alice Nivison are the creative couple behind Fresh Prince which provides homewares, furniture, planter boxes and large custom fit-outs to the lucky individuals around the Sydney area. They design and sometimes make their products in the sunny living room of their two-bedroom apartment in Botany. The space works for them perfectly, with a designated home office area, a large open-plan living room where they can make their designs, and a little balcony that hosts a variety of greenery waiting to be planted in the boxes.
Creative Space at a Glance
Creatives’ names: Alice Nivison and Richie Northcott
Age: 29
Occupation: Design and build for Fresh Prince
Location: Botany, NSW
What’s made here: Designs for commercial and event fit-outs, furniture, planter boxes, and homewares.
Creative Space at a Glance
Creatives’ names: Alice Nivison and Richie Northcott
Age: 29
Occupation: Design and build for Fresh Prince
Location: Botany, NSW
What’s made here: Designs for commercial and event fit-outs, furniture, planter boxes, and homewares.
The couple have since moved to Botany where they have lived in their apartment for eight months, and have committed to Fresh Prince full-time. When Northcott isn’t in his living room coming up with designs alongside Nivison, he can be found in his workshop, located just around the corner from their apartment, making their more large-scale pieces.
They also share the space with their pet bunny, Egg, who according to Nivison is “a vegan and part-time model”. She has her own little house in the living room and can be found munching on kale or exploring the balcony while Nivison and Northcott are hard at work.
Plants are in every room as the couple love to be surrounded by nature. “I think the plants are what makes this space home to us,” says Nivison. “Being surrounded by nature has a soothing effect and tending to them is our daily meditation.”
Plants aren’t just found in their creative space, they also grow mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) in their bedroom and Rhipsalis in the bathroom. They also explain that their herbs and greens contribute to their own food and Egg’s. “Plants are a daily reminder of why we started Fresh Prince and how well something will thrive when you care about it,” says Nivison.
Planter box: Fresh Prince
Planter box: Fresh Prince
Nivison and Northcott try to recycle used timber as much as possible, by building bespoke pieces of furniture throughout their space. The desk pushed up against the wall was made by Northcott, who used recycled plywood offcuts for the structure. “The oversized desk was made from scrap ply in our workshop and a repurposed door, which gave enough space for both of us to work alongside each other,” says Northcott.
Desk chairs: Lunatiques
Desk chairs: Lunatiques
Nivison uses her skills as an architect to come up with large-scale fit-outs for commercial businesses. From cafes to bars and restaurants, no project is too big for the duo to take on.
Fresh Prince’s most recent design triumph was building the large bamboo bar at this year’s Secret Garden Festival.
Nivison says that they treasure their art collection, including the large seascape painting next to the bookcase which Nivison’s father (Angus Nivison) completed in his early career. “I also treasure a graffiti cow skull by my brother Charlie (artist name Silly Pear), along with a small wooden sculpture by artist Steven King and a bright abstract painting by photographer and friend Alex Massey.”
When it’s time to relax, the reading nook serves as the perfect reading spot. “I built the reading nook for Alice to draw and think in, with books close at-hand and space for her ‘creative mess’ to spill out across the oak table,” says Northcott.
Planter boxes on bookcase: Fresh Prince; plants in boxes: Rhipsalis
When it’s time to relax, the reading nook serves as the perfect reading spot. “I built the reading nook for Alice to draw and think in, with books close at-hand and space for her ‘creative mess’ to spill out across the oak table,” says Northcott.
Planter boxes on bookcase: Fresh Prince; plants in boxes: Rhipsalis
The balcony is the couple’s favourite spot in the house. “It’s surrounded by palms and bamboo that sway in the breeze giving a holiday feel to the apartment,” says Nivison.
While the balcony may seem small, the duo make the most of the space. They also practise what they preach by growing as much as possible in the recycled timber boxes that were built to fit on the balustrade.
TELL US
What do you like about this creative space? Let us know in the Comments section.
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While the balcony may seem small, the duo make the most of the space. They also practise what they preach by growing as much as possible in the recycled timber boxes that were built to fit on the balustrade.
TELL US
What do you like about this creative space? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Creatives at Home: Nahji Chu in Her Kitchen
Creatives at Home: Two Architects in Their Backyard Office
Creatives at Home: Annie Davidson in Her Loft-Style Apartment
His interest in growing plants flourished during a nine-month trip to Sudan in Africa, where he worked on a farm. Paired with Nivison’s architecture background, the couple collaborate to create cutting-edge structures for their plants to grow in.