HEARTH & SOUL

A MAJESTIC HOME IN THE NSW SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO A COSY RETREAT, TAILORED TO COMFORTABLE FAMILY LIVING AND EASY ENTERTAINING

- CHRIS PEARSON

Cooler months are magical for the owners of this baronial-style home in the NSW Southern Highlands. They gather around their majestic sandstone fireplace and rug up while observing the shifting seasons through walls of windows. And what a view it is, taking in spectacular gardens, with towering oak and cherry trees turning amber, and serene rolling hillsides with grazing cattle. But, while the vista is spectacular, the inspired interiors match it for splendour. The couple bought the eight-bedroom home as a getaway in 2019, to be enjoyed with family and friends. But it delivered lacklustre interiors – a 1980s renovation having shortchanged the house with plain joinery, large travertine floor tiles and generic bathrooms. The living areas – separate spaces with a poor flow – were not working well. But perhaps the biggest sin was a galley kitchen with a poky sitting area; anathema to the new owners, who are keen entertainers.

The couple approached local architecture and building firm Cadence & Co with a brief to open up the kitchen for relaxed entertaining. But the project mushroomed, says partner and design principal Michael Kilkeary. “The revised brief was to create a home that allowed for more spacious living areas, with a better connection between them and to the amazing garden beyond.” The renovations focused on the central core of the house, where walls were removed and openings enlarged. “The expanded kitchen has an all-in approach, allowing space for everyone to prep meals if they wish,” says Michael. Adding to the informality is a casual sitting room beside the kitchen, flooded with daylight thanks to an expansive wall of bifolds.