A CLASSIC ESCAPE

THIS CHIC COUNTRY HOME IN QUEENSLAND TELLS TALES THROUGH DECORATIVE DETAILS THAT NOD TO THE OWNER’S ANCESTORS, HER CHILDREN AND THE LIFE PATH SHE HAS TRAVELLED

- LYNNE TESTONI

HOME ON THE RANGE Homeowner Tess (opposite) worked with Sydney-based architect John Simpson to realise her vision of an immaculately styled, gracious family residence brimming with warmth and personal touches. Designed in the American Craftsman style, the ‘great room’ of her Queensland home (this page) is the hub of family living and unites the kitchen, living, and dining beneath a soaring cathedral ceiling. This space is key to the look Tess wanted to create. “A great room can actually be quite small, but it’s usually very high-ceilinged,” she says. “It’s a shared space; it’s always attached to the kitchen and that was the central thing I wanted about the home. I said to John, ‘I want a great room and the kitchen needs to be absolutely knockout amazing.’ ”