A Country Christmas

Filled with family, feasts and festivities, this charming southern highlands cottage comes into its own every December

- Anna McClelland

HOME ON THE RANGE With its wraparound verandahs and weatherboard cladding, Karon and Michael’s home, which they share with their seven-year-old son, Alessandro, in NSW’s Southern Highlands, is built for a blissful country life. At Christmas, guests spill out onto the verandah, glass of Prosecco in hand, as kids, giddy with excitement, run amuck on the lawn. “It’s always a really relaxed gathering, with food constantly coming out,” Karon shares. Painted in Dulux Dune, the home’s old-world exterior provides the perfect place to sit on rattan Ikea armchairs and soak up views of the surrounding hills. A majestic Balsam Hill tree bedecked in glittering gold baubles from Suzie Anderson Home takes pride of place in the living room (opposite).

When wafts of freshly baked gingerbread are carried on the country breeze, you know it’s almost Christmas in the Southern Highlands. Follow your nose and you’ll find Karon busily baking with her seven-year-old son, Alessandro, in the graceful country cottage they call home. “We make a gingerbread wreath every year, and Christmas cookies to give to his school teachers,” Karon shares. “Getting Alessandro involved in making gifts is always really special.”