Perfect harmony TV’s Gorgi Coghlan’s country retreat
television presenter Gorgi Coghlan’s rural idyll provides The Project regular - and unmasked singer - with the ideal antidote to city life
in the remarkably productive world of The Project’s Gorgi Coghlan, there is no such thing, it seems, as a too-hard basket. Not only is the delightful mother-of-one a classically trained singer and accomplished stage and screen performer, she’s a former high-school science teacher and state-level equestrian competitor. And with her husband Simon, she is also now a hotelier and restaurateur overseeing Ballarat’s acclaimed The Provincial Hotel and its Lola restaurant. “I’m happiest when I have lots on,” she says with a smile. “I love a full and dynamic life.”
But for the talented Gorgi, recently revealed to be none other than ‘The Monster’ on TV’s wildly popular The Masked Singer, it’s her latest creative outlet that is currently bringing her untold joy – watching her garden grow and flourish. And what a garden it is – nestled within eight hectares of glorious farmland in regional Victoria. “I’m now a mad gardener,” says Gorgi. “Gardening is right up there – mentally, creatively and visually. I just adore it. I have so much respect for the men and women who came before us and who have taught us a great deal about living with the seasons and using the abundance in the most productive way.”
Unlike much of the Australian countryside, her local area was blessed with plenty of spring rainfall. “We’re very lucky here,” says Gorgi. “As a result, it’s lush and fresh, and I do feel very connected to nature wherever I stand. To me, Mother Nature is a great reflection of how mindful we need to be. I’ll go out to check the horses or the chooks and see a beautiful rose in bloom – and it does make me stop and think, ‘This won’t be here in a week’s time.’ You know not to take its beauty for granted.”
Eight years ago, Gorgi – who grew up on the land – paid her first visit to the farm that she, Simon and their now nine-year-old daughter Molly-Rose today call home. Yet at the time, the 1970s house on the property was a far cry from the sunny and stylish abode it is today. “It was rather dark, but there was just something magical about this place and I kept dreaming of it,” says Gorgi. After snapping up the property, the couple began renovating, almost shelling and rebuilding the house entirely, and redesigning and replanting the garden.
Now resting gently within the verdant landscape, the reborn farmhouse – its exterior fittingly painted in a eucalypt green – is the picture of prettiness. Beyond the front door, the welcoming abode, complete with a soaring pitched ceiling and awash with milky whites accented by delicate sprinklings of pink and green, has been lovingly filled with a collection of the family’s treasured pieces. “I’ve gone for a white base and injected pinks and greens as a theme throughout,” says Gorgi. “I love a neutral white backdrop as, to me, it’s fresh and tranquil and you can add colour through the furnishings.” Today, Gorgi cannot contemplate ever leaving what are her family’s dream surrounds. For, as the star knows, the serenity it brings is simply priceless. “There is nothing like coming home, shutting the front gate and it’s just us and Mother Nature,” she says. “It restores me and, really, I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
“I LOVE FINDING BEAUTIFUL OLD PIECES AND GIVING THEM NEW LIFE” ~ Gorgi
“SIMON’S A HUGE COOK - WE’RE VERY BLESSED THAT WE’VE MARRIED OUR EQUALS IN TERMS OF OUR OBSESSION WITH FOOD!” ~ Gorgi
“WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE HOUSE, YOU FEEL LIKE THE OUTSIDE COMES IN AND THAT YOU’RE CONNECTED TO NATURE” ~ Gorgi
MAIN BEDROOM A stunning original work by artist Tony Cole sets the tone in Gorgi and Simon’s room (opposite), where restful pastel shades come to the fore. Deciding which colours should play starring roles in her home was easy for Gorgi. “I’ve always been a pink girl and I also love the freshness of green,” she says. Little wonder, then, that Gorgi snapped up the perfectly-pink bedside lamp at Canvas + Sasson and luxe bedlinen by Sage & Clare. The bedside table was found at Lavender Hill Interiors. LOUNGE ROOM Visitors to the home could be forgiven for doing a double-take when catching a glimpse of the tiled equine artwork that claims an entire wall of the lounge room (above). “This is of my horse Liliana,” says Gorgi, putting her feet up on a blush Maker & Son loveseat. “My artist friend Mardi Featherston painted her, and we printed the painting onto tiles rather than a canvas. It really appears like Liliana is cantering through the house, as it’s life-sized and has so much movement and energy. It’s very special.” An Anna Spiro rug for Designer Rugs completes the charming chill-out scene. >
“I LOVE THAT I’M STARTING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND MY GARDEN, AND THE SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT YOU GET FROM LOOKING AFTER IT YOURSELF” ~ Gorgi
MOLLY-ROSE’S ROOM With a perfectly in-keeping equestrian theme, Molly-Rose’s enchanting room showcases ‘Gymkhana’ horse and pony wallpaper by Hibou Home (top left). “Molly-Rose is very much a country girl, too,” says Gorgi, taking a walk with her daughter, Happy the dog and Molly-Rose’s pony Roxy (top right). The family spends as much time as they can outdoors when Gorgi is away from the Melbourne studio. The home’s eucalypt-green facade (above left) allows it to appear at one with its rustic surrounds. “From the road, you can’t even tell there’s a house here!” says Gorgi, taking a breath of fresh air outside (opposite). The lush pergola is covered in Boston ivy. “It’s just beautiful,” says Gorgi. “In summer, we eat out here almost every night.”