Honouring The Past In The Present

This is a place for people
who enjoy reading, dreaming
and making things by hand.

A House With Many Rooms

 

I think of this place as a house with lots of rooms.  Some rooms are about making.  Sewing, embroidery, wreaths from old jewellery, watercolour painting.

Others are about cooking, household routines, and the kind of practical knowledge that used to be passed along from mother to daughter.

There's a room for vintage home decor, and how objects sit in a space when they've been collected over time rather than bought all at once.

Not everything here is finished. Some of it is still taking shape, and that's how I like it.

I'm interested in older ways of doing things; sewing, embroidery, cooking, painting, and using what's already been loved. I share what I'm working on as I go.

And because there's always a story somewhere, I created The 'Dear Viv' Letters, an ongoing story told through letters between two sisters, set in a beachside boarding house in 1950s Australia.

THE 'DEAR VIV' LETTERS

A 12-month story told through letters from a 1950s Queensland guest house. Each month, the next letter arrives by post, with artwork from my studio.

SEE THE LETTER SUBSCRIPTION

VINTAGE STORIES

Notes and reflections from the world behind the letters.  The 1950s details, the characters, the places, and the things that make their way into my work.

READ THE VINTAGE STORIES

KYM HUGHES ART

Watercolours, greeting cards, vintage finds, and handmade projects from my studio.

SEE WHAT I'M MAKING

The 'Dear Viv' Letters

 

One of the rooms in this house is The 'Dear Viv' Letters.

It’s a 12-month ongoing story told through letters sent by post.

The letters are written by Lil to her sister Viv and are set in a boarding house in Australia in the 1950s. Through the letters, you get to know the people who live there, the ones who come and go, and the small details that quietly reveal more than it seems at first glance.

Each letter arrives by mail with a specifically designed envelope and a greeting card featuring my hand-painted florals.

You receive the story as it unfolds. There’s nothing to catch up on and nothing to rush.

The 'Dear Viv' Letters is always open to join.

READ ABOUT THE 'DEAR VIV' LETTERS
Kym Hughes184

A Little Bit About Me.

I've always liked working with my hands and learning new techniques. I'm interested in how things are made, not just how they look when they're finished. I work slowly, try things out, and let ideas take shape over time.

I collect vintage china, linens, aprons, and bits of everyday history because they still feel useful and full of character. They're objects that women either made or used every day and rarely gave it a second thought.

It's nice to have you here.

 

If You're Curious

If you’d like to hear when new letters, stories, artwork, or handmade pieces are added, you’re welcome to join my email list.

No rush, no fuss, just the occasional note from my studio.

If you'd like to hear when new letters arrive, see new projects take shape, or something from the collection catches your eye, you're welcome to join my list.

JOIN THE LIST