LIVING Merrilyn and Tony worked with interior designer Lynne Bradley to create a warm, welcoming feel, integrating the existing 4.8m tree-trunk feature
and limestone benchtop. A fireplace surround was designed to house the TV and make the space look more seamless. Corrugated iron was removed from the
chimney and tiles from Academy Tiles were applied to the fascia. The mantel is a 200kg piece of timber. Rug, Armadillo&Co. Lynne’s plan for the kitchen was
mostly to calm it down, replacing a bright blue oven with a stainless-steel one and painting the cupboards Dulux Grey Pail. For Where to Buy, see page 188.
Built to last
Cooranbong Valley is a mixture of weekenders
and local residents, some with a long history of
farming and logging in the area. Cedar, mahogany,
turpentine and blackbutt are the most common
timbers. This house is mostly cedar, a beautiful
softwood. Aside from its warm honeyed tones, the
low density makes it an ideal insulator inside and
good cladding material outside. Its pleasing
fragrance can also linger for years.100 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN