Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2025 i Australian House & Garden

by The Triffids, Wide Open Road, is the soundtrack playing in my head. There’s something about the Australian countryside that speaks directly to the soul – its beauty, mystery, unpredictability and character, and the innate sense of connection that it fosters with nature. Even those of us who live in the city seem to have an inbuilt affinity with rural Australia. In this special country themed issue, we celebrate that uniquely Australian spirit, exploring the length and breadth of our landscape through homes that blend heritage with heart, and design with deep-rooted authenticity. We begin in the NSW Southern Highlands with Moss Manor, a restored Georgian beauty brought back to life by Louella Grattan-Smith and architect Luke Moloney. Written by Eliza O’Hare, this story is a celebration of perseverance (Louella…

Auctions are often a middle ground between high-end antique retailers and more mass-market stores. Thanks to sites such as LiveAuctioneers and Invaluable, which partner with auction houses around the world, you can access hundreds of sales any hour of the day. Such sales can be rich hunting grounds for vintage and antique furnishings, from majolica plates to well-made 19th-century French farmhouse tables and Mid-century pieces that sell for three times the price on designer retail sites like Chairish. Online auctions, such as Lawsons, are one of the most cost-effective and easy ways to buy antiques, with pictures and descriptions of the items posted before each timed sale. Auction houses provide catalogues online with photographs, brief descriptions and an estimated market value of each item. Browsing them can be entertaining and…

If walls could talk, these sandstone marvels would have fascinating stories to tell. And, as this 1840s cottage in central Tasmania enters an exciting new era, it weaves a fresh narrative, with the signature sandstone remaining a leading character. Named Raffah House, the three-bedroom property was bought by Sophie and Nick Weeding in 2017. Originally from Victoria, she moved here to be with her husband on his family farm. “When we welcomed our first son in 2017 [the couple now has two children], my parents were visiting and walking down the main street, when they spotted this sandstone beauty for sale. They hinted it could be a wonderful interstate base for my family – and the rest is history,” she says. Seduced by what she saw, Sophie was easily persuaded.…

PORTRAIT Sophie’s dress, Dissh. Carre Clair canvas art print, $499.95, Olive et Oriel. ‘Zoe’ sofa, POA, Fanuli. ‘Allard’ ottoman, $840, Rachel Donath. Large lampshade, $100, Soffle. ‘Fern’ wallpaper in Green, Milton & King. TOP FIVE armchairs LIVING SCULPTURE Select sculptural forms to add moments of interest. ‘Henry’ coffee table, $1899, OZ Design. Continue the theme of curved motifs to create a sense of COHESION and visual flow. ‘Claude’ lounge in Avocado Green, $5400, Merci Maison. FINE ACCENT Look to sophisticated finishing details such as fringes and pleats, as seen on the ‘Super Fringe’ cushions and ‘Etheridge’ sofa from Land. Soft Moss velvet COCOONS the ‘Kennedy Axis’ occasional chair, $2485, GlobeWest. Inspiring LOOKBOOKS Infused with an elevated European sensibility the latest Hali x Smac Studio collaboration has produced some BEAUTIFUL RUGS.…

DINING Custom table, Farquhar’s Furniture. ‘No.811 Hoffmann’ dining chairs, Thonet. Atmospheric No. 17 artwork by Anna Curnuck, Kerrie-Ann Jones. EXTERIOR Cladding painted Dulux Natural White. Landscaping by Susie Reynolds. Bench seat, sourced by owner. Wall light, Barn Light Australia. KITCHEN Walls painted Dulux White on White. Existing kitchen joinery. Blinds, Halvorsen Interiors. Antique table and chairs. Vase, Michelle Samaras. This pretty 1890s cottage in the Southern Highlands of NSW is picture-perfect in every way, with its bay window, steeply pitched roof, timber fretwork and original shingles enhanced by beautiful gardens. Set on 1000sqm of land at a high point in the street, it also offered further potential for the downsizing buyers. While undeniably attractive from the outside, the interior needed some refurbishment and the new owners were keen to maximise…

“I feel proud of the life I’ve shaped – one where both creativity and motherhood can thrive side by side.” I grew up in a Victorian home in Hawthorn in Melbourne during the 1980s, a time when pastel palettes reigned supreme. Our interiors reflected that era – my bedroom was a classic mix of soft blue and yellow, and our sitting room was styled around a Designers Guild fabric – a favourite of mine – with apricot-toned walls. From a young age, my mother encouraged me to be involved in decorating decisions – I remember choosing the fabric for my curtains and bedspread with great excitement. I even persuaded her to let me have a wrought-iron bed. While most children were asking for Barbies or Cabbage Patch Kids, I was…

CARAMELISED APRICOT CHICKEN WITH THYME Prep time: 15 minutes. Cooking time: 1 hour. Serves: 2. 2 tablespoons cornflour 2 teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper 2 chicken marylands, skin on 3 tablespoons (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 2 French shallots, thinly sliced lengthways 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 6 Dutch carrots, peeled, trimmed 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard ⅓ cup dried apricots ⅓ cup apricot jam 150ml apricot nectar 300ml chicken stock 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 5g thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs to serve Cooked basmati rice, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 200ºC fan. Place cornflour, 1 teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper in a bag and shake to mix. Add chicken and shake to coat chicken. 2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil…

KITCHEN Joinery in Polo Weathered Limewash oak, Cobbitty Grove Kitchens. Calacatta Gold marble benchtop, Euro Marble. Steel-framed doors, Steela. De La Espada ‘Vega B’ chair, Spence & Lyda. Antique fishing trap, owner’s existing. The existing flooring in antique tumbled Noce travertine was retained. CASUAL DINING Tacchini ‘Pigreco’ chairs, Stylecraft. Linen tablecloth, Hale Mercantile Co. “The owners wanted to convert it from a kid-friendly family home to a sophisticated residence.” CASUAL DINING The dining area opens to the terrace and garden. Articolo Studios ‘Scandal’ Extra Long pendant light, Est Lighting. Tacchini ‘Pigreco’ dining chairs, Stylecraft. Tablecloth, Hale Mercantile Co. ‘Winged’ ellipsoid vessel by Suvira McDonald, The DEA Store. When interior designer Sally Wilkins was engaged to work on this property in the Southern Highlands of NSW, the client’s first question surprised…

“The home had strong architectural gestures… I didn’t want the furniture or art to compete.” The rich landscape of this Bellarine Peninsula site in Victoria was what drew the owners to the location of their new family home. A lake and wildlife reserve lie to the north, open coastline to the south, and civilisation is close at hand with the neighbouring golf courses, a beach and a local township nearby. Mark and Rachel bought the land in 2019 for their family (which includes their three teenaged children and Bailey the Australian Shepherd), then contracted madewellstudio to design their dream home. “Mark wanted a modern home. Rachel, who’s originally from England, was drawn to more traditional forms, particularly North American architecture,” says Campbell Doughty, principal at madewellstudio. He’d spent six years…

LIVING Walls painted Porter’s Paints Explorer Blue and Dulux Natural White. Artwork by Alexandra Plim. Curtains in ‘Palo’ linen blend in Seafoam from James Dunlop Textiles, Bombo Curtains and Blinds. Juno ‘Orb’ sofa chairs in Desert Speckle, GlobeWest. Kelly Wearstler ‘Senso’ table lamp, Sainte. Rug, Armadillo. ENTRY ‘Surface’ wall sconce and ‘F.ACE’ wall hooks, all Studio Henry Wilson. “It went from a boring, bland house to a modern, luxe farmhouse full of light and colour.” KITCHEN Wall painted Porter’s Paints Explorer Blue. Joinery in Polytec Ravine in Natural Oak and Dulux Natural White, David John Detailed Joinery & Kitchens. Benchtop in Rosaio terrazzo and splashback in ‘Yohen Border’ tiles, all Artedomus. Neff cooktop, Winnings. Vessel by Elena Morgan Strohfeldt. FAMILY ROOM Walls painted Porter’s Paints Old Stone Wall. Blinds in…