Friday July 18 2008

It’s hard to believe that 18 months ago this dramatic home in the Southern Highlands of NSW was a simple farmhouse. The owners, Louise Green and her husband, Warwick, wanted their country weekender – which is set on 48 hectares of lush farmland – to be a glamorous and exotic retreat for their large family and many friends.

Louise engaged her sister, architect Suzanne Green, and interior designer Melissa Collison to turn the 1980s house into a modern home that made the most of its spectacular setting. Suzanne and Melissa run Site Interior Design Studio and had previously worked with Louise on her Sydney home.

“We’re on the same wavelength,” Louise says. “And we all love colour.”

In order to make the most of the home’s sweeping views, Louise converted several of the ground-floor windows into french doors. “I wanted to be able to sit back on the sofa and look out and feel that I was in the country,” she says. “It wasn’t a cheap exercise, but it’s made an amazing difference.”

In addition, all the existing windows and door frames were enlarged and the wall between the passage and dining room was knocked down to create a bigger, more open space, which was vital to the owners’ lifestyle.

“We have four children [Eliza, three, Tom, eight, Ed, 10 and Georgie, 12] and we wanted something spacious, with lots of room for other children to visit,” Louise says.

The U-shaped house has four bedrooms downstairs. The upper level has been extended and is now a children-only retreat, with a new bathroom, a bedroom that sleeps four and an enormous games room with two large boxes under the windows that are used for storage but – with mattresses placed on top – can also double as beds for another four children. “I might not go upstairs the whole weekend. The beds don’t get made; they don’t have to pack things away. They can completely relax. It’s their space.”

The original small kitchen was opened up to create a large family living area. To make it feel even bigger, the ceiling of the whole area was raised to double height and the existing metal beams were veneered with recycled hardwood to give them a rustic feel. And the once-small fireplace is now a dramatic, stone-clad chimney wall, home to an imposing moose head (a whimsical addition inspired by skiing holidays in the US), which creates a ski chalet atmosphere. At breakfast time, guests congregate around the vast granite island bench that is about five square metres.

“There are only nine stools around it, but we have ordered more. We often all sit around that big bench, it’s fabulous,” Louise says.

The living room decor has been refreshed and vintage pieces, along with the couple’s existing furniture, were given new life in their weekend home. “I didn’t want everything to feel new,” Louise says. Two revamped pieces in particular stand out: the sofa has been re-upholstered in a soft velvet and the chaise longue, covered in zebra print, provides a touch of drama. Tribal rugs add warmth to the mahogany floorboards and the Moroccan cushions, hexagonal tables and beaten pots – all chance finds in the local township of Bowral – lend an exotic flavour.

With lamps glowing against the stone-coloured walls and the fire crackling, this is a room meant for lingering long into the night. “We were very conscious that these are spaces [where] you want to spend time in winter,” Melissa says.

The home is now a place designed for entertaining, much to Louise’s delight. “It was quite a carefree project – everything we did just seemed to work,” she says. “Hopefully it’s going to be a happy home that’s used by family and friends for a long time.”