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Ali Thibodeau, Tony Rose and their dog, Olive, stand before shelves in the living room filled with significant mementos. Rose says there is a candle he’s always had, in the shape of an old man fishing, that reminds him of his grandfather who raised him. Childhood favorites Gumby and Pokey remind him of his great aunt Bev, who used to call him Gumby.
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Rose says he bought the map of Virginia when he lived in Brooklyn, New York. He wanted to showcase it in a unique way, so he created the cubic sculpture in front of it. He then added figures he found on Facebook Marketplace.
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Thibodeau covered sound-absorbing panels in fabric in the music room. She says the pink Fender Stratocaster guitar was a custom-made gift from Luke Cretzmeyer at Fralin Pickups, and the “Let It Leave” neon sign was a gift from Brian Barker at Barker Designs.
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The artwork on the walls is by friends and family. The “Long Live the Songwriter” banner was a gift from a dear friend. Thibodeau says she inherited the upright piano when moving out of Lucy Dacus’ house.
When artist and barber Tony Rose first toured his home in Stratford Hills in 2019, it was the sunroom that clinched the deal.
“The whole room was carpeted, and it was awful,” he says, “but I decided that this place would be really special and amazing.”
The sunroom wasn’t the only room that needed work. The previous owners eliminated the third bedroom and made other “weird” renovations, Rose says. But a few months later, COVID-19 hit, and the managing partner of Hell’s Bottom barbershop found himself out of work and with time to spend updating the interior and exterior.
Rose was later joined by his fiancee, musician and songwriter Ali Thibodeau, better known on stage as Deau Eyes. The home has evolved to match their collective style, from Thibodeau’s piano, guitars and patterned textiles to Rose’s own paintings Thibodeau discovered in storage.
“The first time I came to this house, I was so emotional because I could see how much love he put into it,” Thibodeau says. “When I moved in, it became a bit more colorful and flowery and filled with instruments. Anthony also has eclectic taste in art from when he was an art handler in New York. Both of our tastes have come together in a way that feels like us.”
No space, however, captures the intersections of their artistry and passions quite like the backyard. Last year, Rose fulfilled a childhood dream and built a mini ramp for skateboarding, which doubles as a stage for their intimate music venue, Flowerama. The couple invite friends and musicians to perform amid an array of botanicals and twinkling cafe lights.
Flowerama was also the setting for Rose and Thibideau’s vintage Palm Springs-inspired wedding in August, which was followed by a swim party and jam session at their neighborhood pool.
“I was able to create something, and then we were able to create something together by bringing bands in,” Rose says. “Now, it’s a magical space for the both of us. It made sense for us to celebrate our love with everybody and get married on the ramp.”
And that sunroom that first hooked Rose? It’s now Thibodeau’s music studio. She went maximal, leaving Rose’s collection of lush plants and lining the shelves with trinkets and “all the little things that make me happy,” Thibodeau says. There, she writes songs, holds band rehearsals, gives private lessons and records her music.
“When I moved in, Anthony told me to fill it with anything I want,” she says. “It’s where I spend most of my days, just making music.
“I thrive in that mentality where there are no rules, like we’re just going to go against the grain and have things that don’t necessarily belong together. When I have that going on in my space — in a room filled with light and plants and things that are alive and growing and changing — it cultivates that creative energy.”
