R
enee and Shane had always hoped to buy a little piece
of acreage in their hometown of Toowoomba, in
southern Queensland, to raise a family. One Sunday
afternoon while exploring the local countryside, they
stumbled upon a farm with a ‘for sale’ sign pitched outfront. Horses and cows grazed the paddocks, framed by valley
views and rolling hillsides, while a gully ran out the back. The
couple made an offer on the land that very afternoon. “We acted on
a whim but it was perfect,” says Shane. “We fell in love with it.”
The couple set to work designing a true forever home they
could grow into with their daughters Parker and Winnie,
and were inspired by a luxurious mountain lodge they
stayed in with friends for Renee’s 30th birthday. “It felt homely on
a grand scale and celebrated natural materials,” recalls Shane.
“It was modern but unique and showed how different materials
could be implemented into one house and made to work. We were
adamant we wanted something that would age gracefully.”
The planning phase spanned two years as the couple honed their
vision of internal brick walls, Victorian bluestone fireplaces, French
oak floors and timber features that would create a rustically elegant
chalet-style setting. “We were very mindful that we have a young
family and wanted a home where the kids could fly up and down
the hallways and live in it comfortably,” explains Renee. “And we
weren’t just thinking about what we wanted now, but what the girls
would want as teenagers and what we would want in the future.”
The 12-month build was smooth and steady, aided by interior
designer Claire Stevens, who not only brought a sophisticated and
subtle industrial touch to the home, but also allowed the couple to
focus on running their own joinery business during the process.
With the home and landscaping now complete, the young family
is living the dream: during winter, lounging around the intimate
sitting room at the front of the home with the fireplace aglow is one
of their favourite things to do together. Come summer, they throw
open the doors to the terrace leading down to the resort-style pool.
On the upper level, a private parents’ retreat with sweeping valley
views offers the ultimate solitude, while on weekends Renee and
Shane love watching their adventurous and free-spirited girls ride
around the property on their bikes. “It’s nice to get home and shut
the gates and feel like you’re a million miles away,” says Renee. “For
us it’s a little oasis for the family.”