Great escape

A heritage Blue Mountains home is thoughtfully renewed, opening onto a century-old garden that invites wandering

- STORY REBECCA HOOTON

INSIDE STORY Tan & Eileen's home

Who lives here? Couple Ian and Eileen, both retired.

Why did you choose your architect and interior designer? "The warmth they expressed for La Vista gave us a lot of confidence. When you have an old home, you can feel quite protective about it - and we wanted to make sure changes made would honour, improve and elevate."

Looking back, what was the best decision you made? "This project is the accumulation of hundreds of great decisions. We had input from a team of talented experts and following their advice led to so many 'best decisions.'"

Surrounded by roses, azaleas, camellias and deciduous trees that echo the gardens of their youth, Ian and Eileen discovered a surprising sanctuary and second home in the Blue Mountains. Their weekender, La Vista, originally bought for occasional escapes from city life, became a full-time refuge when the pandemic arrived. “Working from home allowed us to spend the majority of our time here and that motivated us to renovate,” they say.