Yellowtrace’s Dana Tomić Hughes chats with More Space about her idea of home that’s less about a place, more about a feeling where you can be yourself, the fun of working from home with her husband Nick and two boys, including new baby Marko, her favourite song to sing-along to and fool-proof recipe for pizza, and how appreciative we are going to be of the simple things when we come out the other side.
Where are you working from at the moment?
Although I’m technically still on maternity leave (yeah, right, says every small business owner, ever) I split my time working between home and our studio which is conveniently located just up the road from our apartment.
What makes a house a home to you?
I share a home, life and business with my husband Nick, and our two beautiful boys – 8-year-old Luka and 6-month-old baby Marko. They are, by far, the most important ‘things’ in my life, and home is wherever we are together. For me, a home is less about a place and more about a feeling – it’s anywhere we can be ourselves, feel surrounded by abundant love and without any judgement. For this reason, I feel at home in many other places, not just at our ‘house’.
What is your most valuable possession, and why do you love it?
Right now, it would have to be the portable cot that our dear colleague Lidia gave us. We use it as a playpen in the office for baby Marko, but more often than not you’ll find both boys in there together. It’s so endearing, slash slightly hilarious, to see them playing together or just hanging out side-by-side.
Your favourite cookbook?
'The Silver Spoon' and 'The Cook’s Companion’. I don’t refer to these all the time, but I do when I need to make sure I’m not going to stuff up a particular ingredient I’ve never cooked with before, or I’m trying to make a specific dish the hero. For everyday, I love Eat Yourself Beautiful’ that is all about easy recipes with supercharged food. And Ottolenghi’s ’Simple' for elevated salads and impressive veg dishes.
And recipe?
Well, this is not exactly the height of culinary achievement but pizzas are very popular around our house. I’ve recently discovered a dead easy fool-proof recipe for a pizza base. Use 1.5 cups of flour to 1 cup of natural Greek yoghurt (makes 2 x medium size bases). Mix with a spoon in a large bowl, dust your bench with plenty of flour and kneed for a bit until dough is tacky, then cut in two. Use more flour and spread with a rolling pin until the base is quite thin but you can still pick it up. Transfer to a pizza tray and top with whatever’s going on. My go to’s are good quality passata, crushed fresh garlic (OMG it’s the best), prosciutto (actually, I prefer jamon, but do as you please), fresh baby tomatoes, a bit of thinly sliced red onion, good olives, oregano, with mozzarella on top. Pop in the oven for around 10 minutes at 200 degrees and boom, you’ve got yourself a killer pizza. You’re welcome! And don’t forget to drink a bit of red wine too. Apparently, it’s really good for you.
For me, a home is less about a place and more about a feeling – it’s anywhere we can be ourselves, feel surrounded by abundant love and without any judgement.
Dana Tomić Hughes
Your favourite artwork?
At home, 'Sicilian woman' by Nunzio Miano. Nick surprised me with it for my last birthday (which was one day before our son was born – so many tears of joy right around then), and at work, a cool piece by Tom Adair of the Rose Seidler house called ‘Bushland beauty’ which we bought when we moved into the studio.
A favourite song?
I have so many favourite songs, but I can never not sing along to 'The Voice’ by John Farnam. Oh, come on, don’t judge me!
Tell us something about yourself not many people know?
My family and I came to Australia when I was seventeen because of the war in Bosnia and I only spoke very basic ‘school English’ back then. Also, even though I have a degree in interior architecture, I never finished high school. Oh, and growing up, I had zero ambition to become a designer or work in this field, I didn’t even know what design was! In fact, I always dreamed of following in my Dad’s footsteps and becoming a psychologist. Well, that plan didn’t work out so well for me, did it?
What are you reading?
'Mothering Our Boys' by Maggie Dent. She’s the best.
Your best piece of advice for getting through this together?
No matter how crappy things may seem right now, remember to enjoy this weird and wonderful time. I feel like most of us, we are all going to be missing elements of this different life very soon. Not to mention how appreciative we are going to be of the simplest things, like being able to hug a friend, or going to a restaurant. OMG, remember restaurants? How good were they?
About #hometogether
We’re all adapting to our ‘new normal’, staying home, but trying to stay connected. To help keep our community together we have invited our clients and friends to share what they are doing. How they are working, their tips, thoughts and ideas, and if you’re up for it, a few fun secrets too.
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