No.1
HOUSE OF THE MONTH
For Madeleine Roberts-Thomson and her mother, Jenee, rescuing a tired rural house became a passion project that brought lots of happiness
HOME TRUTHS
THE PROPERTY 1970s detached farmhouse
ROOMS Sitting room, kitchendiner/living area, study, cloakroom, five bedrooms, three bathrooms
LOCATION South Eastern Highlands, Victoria, Australia
With its sweeping views of the Delatite River and the mountains beyond, the location of this farmhouse in the South Eastern Highlands of Victoria is truly spectacular. ‘We decided we had to restore and refresh the property and share it with others,’ says Madeleine Roberts-Thomson, who bought the house with her mother, Jenee, three years ago. ‘This area is very popular for skiing in winter, and it is also beautiful in the spring and summer seasons, so we knew it could make a wonderful guest house,’ she explains.
Madeleine and Jenee’s family business rears pasture-fed Angus cattle in three regions of Australia, and they own a working farm that adjoins the property. ‘We believe that the house was built in the 1970s but many of the trees are up to a hundred years old, and the surrounding gardens are beautiful,’ Madeleine says. ‘We wanted to honour the region’s rich grazier history and preserve the homestead’s character while also bringing it up to date.’
The pair began by having all the rooms painted white, but they soon realised that this was a mistake. ‘The spaces are all large and we found the effect to be cold rather than fresh,’ recalls Madeleine, who contacted interior designer Belle Hemming to tap into her expertise. ‘We took a leap of faith with her paint colour choices, asking her to help us give a much more cosy feel to the rooms.’
Madeleine and Jenee were keen for Belle to work with the existing deep pink carpet that runs through many of the spaces: ‘It was like new, and such good quality that it seemed too wasteful to get rid of it,’ Madeleine says. Belle suggested a palette of blues and greens that nicely complements its raspberry hue. For the relaxed kitchen-cum-family space, she proposed wrapping the entire space, including the existing cabinetry, in a gentle mid green to bring the garden right into the room. ‘This was the idea we were the most reluctant to embrace but we love it now, it has a real mood to it,’ Madeleine approves.
Madeleine and her husband spent three years living in England and during that time, they fell in love with the classic aesthetic of English country homes. ‘We liked the layered feel of the historic houses we visited and I asked Belle to help me create this. We sourced printed wallpapers and bought antiques and vintage items from shops and at auction.’
Madeleine and Belle also sourced old paintings to add character to the walls, creating a
