HGHOUSES
94 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
T
hefestiveseasonismuch-anticipatedinMillyDavenport
and A ndrew Wilson’s blended household. A nd this year,
thecelebrationswillbeextraspecial.Thecouple,wholives
herewithMilly’ssonFelix,14,willbewelcomingtheir
respectiveadultchildrenaswellasfriendsandrelatives
from near and far. “This will be our first really big Christmas here,”
says Milly.
Locatedinalushvalleyinsouth-westBrisbane,thelight,airy
andlargelyopen-planhouse,designedbyarchitectShaneThompson,
reflects its owners’ shared love of the outdoors and their preference
fortherobustandunfussy.
Theirprevioushome,a1940sfarmhouseonthesamesite,was
small, dark and poky, so Milly and A ndrew were determined that
thisnewdwellingwouldbelightandopen.Thefloorplanisarranged
mostlyoveronelevel:kitchen/dining,familyroomandtwobedrooms
tothenorth-westoftheentrance;tothesouth-east,thelivingroom,
studyandmainbedroomsuite.Anadditionalbedroomandstudy
are located in the basement level while a mezzanine retreat with
Julietbalconymakesthemostoftheproperty’sbushviews.
The kitchen/dining area is enclosed by bifolds, which are often
opened up to adjoining terraces to create a breezeway. “You won’t
findacoolerspotinsummer,”saysAndrew.Thankstotherelatively
narrow footprint, cross-ventilation usually provides sufficient>‘For us, Christmasisaboutbeingtogetherandfeastingandlaughingabout things
like the jokes in the crackers and the silly hats.’Milly Davenport