HOMESM
aking their way up the gravel driveway overlooking
a picturesque vista of coastal-country NSW, Linda
and her husband, Mark, felt an instant affinity with
the beautiful homestead perched upon the hill.
Stepping inside the thoughtfully renovated,century-old dairy farmhouse called ‘Mayfield’, they lost their hearts.
They bought the home on the spot and, in August 2017, after
selling their inner-Sydney apartment, moved in with their Boston
terrier, Scout. “We had made a decision to move to the South Coast
as we love the beach, but also wanted to have small acreage,”
explains Linda. “We were also looking for a house that had history
and personality. One that sat nicely within the landscape, too.”
Built in 1901, ‘Mayfield’ originally belonged to a local family
of generational dairy farmers. Upon retiring the dairy farm in
2015, it was sold – for the first time – to a couple who completed
a beautiful and respectfully designed renovation. That suited
Linda and Mark, who didn’t want to take on a place that needed
too much work done, and so they became the lucky new owners of
“this old girl,” as Linda affectionately calls her country home. “We
love the calming nature of the house, with high ceilings and big
rooms, and there is plenty of space,” she says.
Honouring the generous dimensions and refined period features,
she kept the styling classic and simple, favouring a neutral palette
and natural textures which pay homage to their surrounding
landscape. “My style of decorating is rustic, with a little bit of
Hamptons,” explains Linda, who decorated her home with a mixture
of vintage finds and more contemporary staples. “I don’t like clutter,
or too many colours. I haven’t put many pictures on the walls, as
I love the sense of space with the white walls and the lack of noise,
which too many artworks can throw at you.”
The kitchen – Linda’s favourite space – perfectly epitomises the
keen cook’s preferred white-on-white aesthetic, while her and Mark’s
bedroom (a close runner-up in the favourite-room stakes) showcases
a darker sensibility fit for the perfect night’s sleep. “Waking up
to the sunrise each morning in here is heaven,” says Linda.
In partnership with nature – and the past – this home seems to
thrum with a sense of harmony, palpable to the couple and visitors
alike. When their adult children, Alexandra and Jackson, come to
visit with their little ones, the family loves nothing more than
gathering by the firepit in the evenings. “It’s wonderful to sit around
it late into the night, talking, enjoying the stillness and peace,” says
Linda. Spending time indoors is idyllic, too, since the home’s
northerly aspect means it basks in glorious sunshine all day, all year
round. Yet it’s now, in the golden months, as the leaves fall and the
days draw in, that Linda tends to fall in love with her home all over
again. “Autumn is my favourite season here; it’s beautiful,” she
muses. “The light in the sky at dawn and sunset is gorgeous. The
days are still warm and the nights are cool. It’s just lovely.”
BREATHING SPACE Homeowners Linda and Mark love sitting on
the verandah of their country farmhouse on the NSW South Coast (left),
soaking up the rays and gazing out on the green landscape. Greeting
guests with the scent of a pair of rose bushes that flank the entrance,
the four-bedroom home, built in 1901, had been beautifully renovated
to honour its stunning period details when the couple fell in love with
it at first sight in 2017. “Country air, no traffic, slower pace,” sums up
Linda. “When our friends and family come down, we get to spend more
time with them, other than a couple of hours in a noisy restaurant.” >
MAY 2020 I HOMEBEAUTIFUL.COM.AU 103