Mi Casa | Tais Rose and Heath Wae

For this Mi Casa feature, we visit the home of Tais Rose and Heath Wae—a space that is a testament to their values and connection to the land. Tais, a talented weaver and poet, and Heath, an accomplished artist, have curated a space that reflects their love for art and their reverence for the natural world. Inspired by the forests that envelop their home, a Wabi Sabi influence permeates their aesthetic, embracing imperfection and finding beauty in the simplicity of nature.

SHOP THE LOOK

1/ Made-to-Order Forma #1 Rug 2/ Mini Rug|Sol 3/ Eclipse Sol Throw 4/ Textural Floor Cushion 5/ Sierra Rug #3400 6/ Classica Cushion #3

Thank you for welcoming us into your home. The style of your living space appears to embody the essence of wabi-sabi design principles. Could you share with us what drew you to this?

We have always been drawn to handmade and pre-loved objects and view our home as an extension of our creativity. There’s something about the intention in a handmade object or the story of bringing new life to a pre-loved object that feels special. Bringing elements of the land, natural textures and seasonal blooms into the home connects us to the environment. It also gives us an anchor point to the seasons and our relationship to the world around us.

Tell us how you feel the presence of art transforms a space.

We have been collecting a range of art for many years now and often cycle it throughout the house to bring in new seasonal energy. Art feels central to the design and feel of our home and includes a lot of Aboriginal and other First Nations weavings, paintings and basketry. A lot of our favourite art in our home comes from Aboriginal artists like Lucy Loomoo, Mabel Juli, Helicopter Joey Tjungurrayi and Jane Gimme. We also have a lot of art from friends and from international artists. Because of the beautiful pitches in the ceiling in the upper story of our home, there’s not much of a capacity to hang works on walls, so a lot of our art is stored in Heath’s painting studio while we reconfigure the home space. While travelling in Japan, we collected an enormous quantity of altar antiques including scrolls, deities, vases, candle holders and sculptures and these are very centralised and celebrated throughout our home.

Nestled in the Northern rivers, your home reflects a profound connection to nature. How has this environment shaped your way of living?

Having a connection to the natural landscape is an integral part of our way of relating to the house. Because the bush envelopes our home, it can feel quite free of boundaries at times, with no clear distinction between inside and out. We have had to become real stewards of the natural environment and to make peace with just how very much the bush is as much a part of our home as the floors and ceiling. The forest is very dense here, so instead of fighting the darkness, we have worked with it in creating moody, earthy nooks and scenes throughout the house. Instead of introducing a brightly coloured painting or furniture piece, we often opt for an earthy rug and one of Heath’s larger dark paintings to enhance the natural, moody atmosphere of the house, accentuating its dark timber features.

What drew you to the Forma collection, and what significance did you place on integrating natural handwoven rugs into your home?

Our friends Jess and Tina at Triibe collaborated on these rugs and we are always in awe of the colours they work with. The particularly structural nature of these rugs sets such a dynamic and textural tone in the room. We find them to be very versatile in our home, and they look beautiful contrasted against concrete and equally against timber flooring. Because I (Tais) am a weaver, the finishings and attention to detail really speak to me, and we always choose handmade and ethical productions over anything mass-made.

Tell us your favourite room in the house and why.

Our favourite room is the tea room, which has at one point or another taken up space in every room of the house until it made its way up to this large upstairs room with its beautiful pitched ceiling. We commune here in the early hours of each morning and it is a place of intention and connection. It’s a beautiful room and an ode to a beautiful ceremony we share.

Your artistic practices seem to be deeply intertwined with a sense of mindfulness and spiritual exploration. How does the ritual of tea ceremonies play a role in your daily lives and why did you decide to incorporate a tea room into your home?

Tea ceremonies ground and inspire us deeply. It is an anchor point from which the rest of the day follows. Tea has an aesthetic sensibility which speaks to the fundamental, the natural, the rawness of life. Working with a tea room allows small gestures to have large impacts. Musings on a single flower or the smell of tea draws us closer to our senses in an overstimulated world.

We are fortunate to call the Northern Rivers home. Could you share with us the journey that led you to this area and what aspects of living here you cherish the most?

Bundjalung Country means so much to us. We are grateful for the First Nations caretakers of this land, ancient and ongoing. I, Tais, moved here with my family when I was in the early years of high school and have mostly lived here since. Heath and I have travelled sporadically over the years and spent some time living in Melbourne, but the Northern Rivers feels like home. We met here when I worked in a bookstore eight years ago. I cannot imagine raising our son anywhere else, in this moment of our lives. The community is as beautiful as the surroundings and we feel extremely lucky to call these mountains home.

What does your day as a family look like?

We start always with tea, walking, breakfast, and lots of playing with our son. Sandpit, veggie garden, lots of tactile spaces. After this we often plan on the fly, we haven’t had routines in place for years so we see what the weather and our moods have to say about it. Always good food, always creativity, lots of books and often friends or family for meals shared. As much joy and inspiration as we can fit into it all. Having a three-year-old brings a lot of energy and movement and play into our day.

What’s next for you both in art and life?

Heath both recently had shows with The Dot Project in London. Art and life are so interwoven for us. There are countless projects evolving, some of them in their early stages. I would like to publish another poetry book in the coming years, and Heath also plans on releasing an art book. We have been dreaming up a combined art show for many years now and it might come together in the next year or two.

Finally, what does home mean to you?

Home is the well-spring, it’s the place where all things manifest from. In Feng shui, home is the heart, the fire for your life, how you cultivate energy there is how you show it in the world. So for us home means the well-spring. The source of so much of what we give to the world starts here, in our house.