Bucolic bliss

Having an interior designer for a neighbour was kismet for these homeowners, who gained both a beautiful home and great friends.

- Carli Philips

Henrietta Summerhayes of Henrietta & Co didn't have to travel very far when she was enlisted to design this holiday home in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Henrietta and her husband, Geoff, had lived side-by-side with the owners, Carolyn and Chris, for years, but they were largely like ships in the night.

“They tended to come up during the week and we went on weekends, so even though we had been neighbours for ages we didn't really see much of each other. But during Covid, we met at the intersection of our farms where we'd light a fire and have some drinks. We called it the ‘Paddock Pub’ — and it was entirely legal!”

When restrictions eased, Carolyn and Chris invited Henrietta and Geoff to their farmhouse a property they had purchased in 2016 and casually furnished with art from their Sydney home and furniture bought from the local shops. Renovating was always on the cards but put on the backburner while they focused on farm infrastructure.

“What started as four pet Belted Galloway cows morphed into breeding cattle, which we love,” says Carolyn of the unexpected evolution of their farm, which is now home to 60 cows, including 14 calves.