‘I stopped seeing beautiful colours’: Irene Pearce’s journey to finding happiness by making water tank a home

How can someone recover after divorcing their life partner and losing two children? Irene Pearce managed by transforming a water tank into a home.

Irene Pearce says she’s thankful to inspire others by building her dream home in a water tank. Picture: Ben Clark

Irene Pearce was facing impossible tragedies after a heartbreaking divorce and losing two children in separate accidents – but by transforming a water tank into a beautiful house, she rebuilt her life.

In 1998, Ms Pearce was in her mid-fifties and after halving her assets with her husband she didn’t have enough funds to buy a house.

But when she stumbled across a 50,000 gallon concrete water tank on a 450 metre squared paddock in Mount Barker she knew she found her perfect home and started renovations.

The constant, hard work turned out to be a therapeutic experience for Ms Pearce.

“I think by putting the house together, I also put my life together,” the 79-year-old told The Advertiser.

When Irene Pearce stumbled across a 50,000 gallon concrete water tank on a 450 metre squared paddock in Mount Barker she knew she found her perfect home. Picture: Supplied

She said the hard was hard work turned out to be a therapeutic experience. Picture: Supplied

“After I lost two of my adult children, I stopped seeing all the beautiful colours in the sky and the blossoms everywhere and I think it was just because I felt so sad.

“I kept working on the house even though I wasn’t feeling so good. I just kept going no matter what, I had to keep going otherwise, if I stopped I might not have started again.”

With the wisdom from hindsight, Ms Pearce can’t help but feel grateful towards the house after her losses.

“Life isn’t fair at all but you know, I think I’m a different person because of the journey I have been on – having to build a house for myself by myself,” she explained.

“And it might sounds strange to say but I sometimes think ‘thank you for the journey’, you know?”

When she came across the water tanks in the middle of an unturned block of land, the water tanks were half-buried, grey, and covered with graffiti.

But as a professional potter Ms Pearce saw beyond the ugliness and recognised the potential of the empty, circular space.

Irene Pearce saw the potential of the space. Picture: Ben Clark

And, with three more smaller tanks … Picture: Ben Clark

She created her dream home. Picture: Ben Clark

After Ms Pearce received council approval she ordered three more smaller tanks to be delivered with a crane onto the site and began work.

“I put mosaics into the kitchen floor, the bathroom and into special parts of the garden,” she said.

“I quite like colourful cushions and decor. And the coloured cushions match the paintings on the wall and the bookshelves have colourful books.

“I just do what I love to do and I don’t want to waste my life by trying to be like everyone.”

The home is now affectionately known as the Tickle Tank. Picture: Ben Clark

Irene Pearce says ”by putting the house together, I also put my life together”. Picture: Ben Clark

Mrs Pearce had also built a lot of her furniture and upcycled old, interesting pieces into furniture for her house because she “couldn’t stop” herself.

Her remaining three children and grandchildren loved the quirky house which they affectionately nicknamed ‘The Tickle Tank’.

To spread the beauty, Ms Pearce annually invites people to visit her Tickle Tank with the Open Gardens SA scheme in October.

Then for the following two or three weeks, Ms Pearce also accepts small group to visit her house by appointment and guests usually find the experience happy despite having tears in their eyes.

“It’s so beautiful, that makes them feel emotional,” she said.

“I think it’s just really nice to inspire people and give some joy back when all we want is our fellow humans to pass on a bit of joy wherever we can because life’s very short.”