Property stylist Leigh McCrabb at home. 71051 Picture: JOE MASTROIANNI
By Charlene Gatt
HE’S the reality TV contestant who has gone on to start his own business.
West Footscray resident Leigh McCrabb rubbed shoulders with one of Australia’s most famous handymen, Jamie Durie, earlier this year as a contestant on interior design show Top Design.
Mr McCrabb, 30, spent three weeks filming the show in Sydney and was the third contestant to be knocked out of the competition.
He signed up for the show fresh after completing his Interior Design degree.
“I didn’t expect to get into it… it was a bit of a shock,” he said.
“The experience was fantastic. It was a good challenge to do in life.”
Motivated by the experience, Mr McCrabb returned to Melbourne and started up his own property styling business, Crabb Walk Collective.
The business gets homes auction-ready for inspections.
“I think the community is in need of a bit of a boost,” he said.
“The economy’s not great at the moment… (property styling) is common, but I guess I’m trying to take a different angle. Not much of it happens in the West, so I’m trying to get real estate agents to look into it more.”
“I do a lot of my own artwork and re-use and recycle products.”
Mr McCrabb’s top two tips for people wanting to sell their home were to de-clutter the space and to work on the senses.
“The visual, the smell, the warmth. That’s the first thing people pick up on when they walk through a house.”
