RURAL IDYLL
For urban dwellers and dreamers, a country house is right up there with a beach house in the ideal lifestyle stakes: somewhere easily accessed for a weekend away, with enough land to indulge the weekend gardener, farmer or horse rider, and room for friends to stay.
As to the architecture, this is where the dream often diverges. For some, a weatherboard farmhouse with deep verandahs has the charm and nostalgic touchpoints to guarantee happiness.
Other rural retreaters are fulfilling long-held ambitions to build from scratch, commissioning architect-led homes and using earthy materials to connect to the landscape, with generous expanses of glass to draw in views.
Having lived in both of the above dwelling types as a child and witnessed the reimagining of countless country houses by my parents, it’s exciting to present a collection of homes in this issue that explore the possibilities of country living without resorting to stylistic clichés. As always, budget and creativity control the outcomes, but there are ideas for updating a dairy farm, reinventing a tiny church, and reinvigorating structurally sound but aesthetically challenged properties. Then there are the exciting materials in a brand new WA home built between a road and pristine bushland.
The makeovers of existing homes are particularly clever and contain many ideas for budget-conscious renovators in any location. With a solid structure and a workable floor plan, sometimes all that’s required is a bit of imagination and energy. Changing hardware in kitchens and bathrooms, going to town with paint and wallpaper, reupholstering a shapely chair with a fresh new fabric, or adding decorative layers with all-season ease in mind. Comfortable sofas, beds and warm throws are a given. The finishing touch? Foliage and flowers picked from the garden.
Country living and decorating aside, we’ve been thinking about winter entertaining and ways to make the most of cooler days. Our lunch menu, Drinks column and Shopping feature set you up to be the host with the most. And we kick off the issue with a visit to the lovely home of seasoned entertainers Chyka and Bruce Keebaugh – just to get you in the mood.
Enjoy!