Margaret Olley owned a large converted hat factory in Paddington, Sydney; her obituary noted, "As well as being a highly productive painter, Olley made a fortune from property development". She painted in the former milliners' workshop and lived in the adjoining terrace. Her studio was a spectacular still life in itself; such was its importance, the Margaret Olley Art Centre has recreated parts of it in the gallery. This features original architectural elements such as windows and doors, and the interiors are filled with over 20,000 items she collected as subject matter for her paintings (she can just about be made out in the photo).