2019-12-01_Australian_House_Garden

houses H G

“We’dtolda coupleoflocalestateagentsthatif a suitable

houseevercameupwe’dbeinterested– butwewerevery

specificaboutlocation,”saysNeale.“Wehaditnarrowed

downtojustoneroad.Notsurprisingly,therewasverylittle

available,butthestarsandplanetsalignedlastyear.The

rightpropertycameupatthe right price, in the right location,

andwejumpedatit.”

Thefour-bedroombrickcottage,builtinthe 1930 s,isa

classicfarmhouse,witha wraparoundverandahandwide

eaves.Itsitsona 1haparcelwithanoutlookofverdant

paddocksdottedwithdairycowsanda dramaticescarpment

thatglowsatsunset.Originallybuiltovertheroadfromits

current location, it was moved in the 1970 s to avoid flooding.

“WETOOKCUESFROMTHEHOUSEBUTWE

DIDN’T WANT A ‘COUNTRY’ FEEL.” NEALE

Thecottagehasseenitsfairshareofadd-onsovertheyears,

soit isnow“abitofa patchwork quilt. But that simply adds

toitscharm”,saysNeale.

Whilethestructurewassoundandthefloorplangenerally

liveable,itneededupdating.NealeandDaviddecided

topursuea stagedrenovation.Theirfirstprioritywasto

overhaulthekitchen,whichhadnoconnectiontotherest

ofthehouse.Workingwiththefootprintoftheexisting

kitchen,theyredesignedthelayout,installinganisland

benchinthecentreofthespaceandaddinga butler’spantry.

TheyalsoremovedaninternalwalltocreateanL-shaped

open-planliving/diningareaandredecoratedthe front

rooms,currentlytwoguestroomsandthestudy.

Liketheresidents,muchofNealeandDavid’sexisting

furniturehasadjustedeasilytothenewcountryhome.“All

oftheartandfurniturewehadinourverycontemporary

cityapartmenthastravelleddownherewithus,andit works

perfectly,”saysNeale.“Thehousegaveuscuesbutthere

wasnodesiretocreatea typicalcountry-styleinterior,”says

Neale.“Welovetomixa varietyofstyles– somepeoplemight

sayclash!– andthat’swhatwe’vealwaysdone.Neither David

norI likestickingtoanydecoratingrules.”

Theystillplantooverhaulthemainbathroom,main

bedroomandensuite,butthoseprojectsareonnextyear’s

to-dolist.“Afterthat,we’lltacklethegarden...Therewill

alwaysbesomethingthatneedsdoing,”saysNeale.

Forthemoment,though,they’rehappytotakea breather,

sitonthefrontverandahandsoakupthebalmysummer

evenings.“Theviewsatdusk,andthechangingcoloursof

the escarpment as the sun sets, are magical,” says Neale.>