At home with Mix 106.3’s Kristen Davidson

The photo shoot is over, and Kristen Davidson has slipped out of her heels into a comfortable pair of Ugg boots for our tour of her Inner South home.

She’s still rocking a graphic blue dress from Australian label Suboo, a contrast to her trademark red curls. I’ve often wondered how someone who juggles so much always manages to look so put together.

Perhaps it’s thanks to her favourite spot in her home – the walk-in wardrobe. There’s shelving for shoes of all kinds, hanging space for dresses and coats, drawers, a full-length mirror, and a feature chandelier that adds to the glamour. There’s even room for hat boxes, where creations from Davidson’s favourite local milliner, Christine Waring, are safely tucked away.

“I walk in and it just makes me feel happy,” she says. “Everything has its place, I can pick out an outfit and I’m ready for the day.”

Her days start early. As the long-running co-host of Mix 106.3’s radio show for breakfast, Davidson’s out the door by 4.30am. The rest of her day might involve being an ambassador for Thoroughbred Park, where she has hosted and judged Fashions on the Field for years, or working with the Canberra Centre, conducting fashion workshops.

Davidson recently became a celebrant and is revelling in helping Canberrans celebrate all stages of life, from weddings to funerals.

With such a busy schedule, her home – where she and husband Iain Davidson, state chief executive of Colliers International Canberra, live with their two children – is her retreat.

“It’s felt like that since we first saw it,” she says. “The open house was the first weekend of the COVID lockdown, when everyone was dealing with new restrictions.

“I walked in and just knew this was the place. We made an offer that day!”

The heritage-listed home was built in 1929, and while Davidson admits “it felt a bit like Nana’s house”, they could see its potential. The location, a stone’s throw from the Manuka shops, was also a big selling point.

“I can’t tell you how many laps of the Manuka shops I’ve done with the kids in the pram!” she says.

When the Davidsons commenced a major renovation with GH Constructions and Capezio Copeland Design Studio, they felt it was important to pay homage to the home’s origins.

“I love the character of heritage homes and to be able to step into a bit of Canberra history reminds me why I love this city so much,” she says.

An original fireplace discovered behind a wall was transformed into a dual i30x fireplace, surrounded by Canberra red bricks salvaged from the building work. One side opens to the formal living room, showcasing Iain’s collection of pop art, while the other faces the stunning open-plan kitchen-dining area.

Davidson says catering to family life was at the core of their renovation. 

“We wanted a home we could bring our babies home to and a place that we could entertain in,” she says. “I love having people around.”

The sleek kitchen helps with that, featuring polished marble benchtops, an Electrolux pyrolytic oven and induction cooktop, fully integrated Liebherr fridge and freezer, Bosch dishwasher and plenty of storage.

“It really is a cook’s kitchen and I should find more time to do it justice,” she says, laughing.

When hosting, there’s another spot that gets a good workout. Black steel-framed glass houses a stylish cocktail bar, with floor-to-ceiling wine racks that become a design element in themselves.

“This room is definitely for the adults,” Davidson says.

The living room overlooks the garden. In the warmer months, they pull back the bifold doors and dine on the deck, or watch the kids in the secure play area off the stand-alone single garage, which is currently used by the kids, but could work as an artist’s studio or another home office.

There are four large bedrooms, one of which has been turned into a home office, complete with stylish Ecoustic Panel Loop acoustic panelling, which allowed Davidson to broadcast from home during lockdown.

“We joked it was like the president and vice president not being able to fly on Air Force One together,” she says. “But to have that option to work from home was a real blessing, particularly with the kids around.”

Davidson’s been in Canberra for close to 18 years now, calling Braddon and the Kingston Foreshore home at different times.

“We’ve always loved the Inner South, there’s something quiet about it even though it’s close to the heart of everything,” she says.

“I love hearing the church bells ring out from St Christopher’s Cathedral. It’s like living in a magical little town.

“The kids say, ‘Mummy, they’re ringing the bells for us’. And I’m like, ‘Well, they must know we’re home.’”