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Rick Rutherford's Country Home Tours Page 2 ----------------------------
In reality, serendipity accounts for one percent of the blessings we receive in life, work and love. The other 99 percent is due to our efforts. (Peter McWilliams 1950 – 2000)
By her own admission, Kerri Cook had an inside advantage! Being in the business of managing properties, she has the privilege of seeing a host of houses every day. And yet, despite the huge array of homes she views, when a particular cottage came onto the market in southern South Australia about two years ago, she admits that it stole her heart. And so she and husband Malcolm made the decision to buy the residence, in so doing setting out on a mission of restoration and repair which ultimately took the couple well over 10 solid months. Kerri tells that when family and friends first saw the house in its original state, they all thought she and Malcolm had lost their senses! But the couple could see beyond the fibro façade and the less-than pristine interior. They instinctively knew that, with a lot of hard work and much effort, they could turn it into a wonderfully cosy, charming place to live. And so the hard work began!
Despite the fact that the house is just over 45 years old, it presents as being a Federation cottage, especially now that the Cooks have worked their magic. On the outside they have clad the entire building, finishing it in a heritage cream. They've replaced windows and doors, and added delightful awnings above the windows to match the galvanised grey tin roof which had been completed by the previous owners. Over an earlier slate verandah they have added timber decking and finished it with handsome balustrading and fretwork above.
Other exterior modifications which have helped to transform the home so dramatically include western red cedar French doors and custom-made farmyard screen; dark grey pavers used to create both a driveway and path to the rear of the house; and the creation of a circular lavender garden – with weeping mulberry in the middle – in the front yard. At the rear, the major modification has been the creation of an outdoor pergola with gabled entertaining area off a rear deck which leads from the dining room. This is the focal point for most of the couple's summer living, the ‘everyday is a holiday' feel enhanced by the fact that the beach is just a short walk away.
Inside, the couple's restoration efforts have been just as extensive – from moving walls and re-cladding all the gyprock to polishing the floors throughout. Both the kitchen and bathroom have been completely overhauled, the experience of renovating the cookroom alone having been a traumatic undertaking. “We removed the original, dated kitchen and for four months had nowhere to cook or eat. The bathroom renovation was equally memorable as we had to move walls to make the original space larger. As the work progressed winter set in. There were no skirting boards so you could literally see outside from indoors. We huddled around a kerosene heater at night, often wondering if it would all ever be finished” Kerri recalls.
“The leadlight windows from the original entrance were recycled for the new bathroom and laundry. The re-outfitting of the skillion also entailed the installation of a suspended timber floor over the original concrete slab underneath” he adds. Finishing touches include a wallpaper border depicting hearts and baskets hanging from a Shaker peg rail, and a robust lounge which sports a chaise-style back and is upholstered in a sage green cut velvet.
Now completely overhauled, the new kitchen is very much the heart of the Cook's home. Accessed at the end of the entrance passage (with overhead fanlight which was made by the same Adelaide craftsman who fashioned the fanlights on the portico and lychgate outside), the kitchen is a fresh and welcoming space, with crisp off-white cabinetry (dressed with a proprietary two-pack finish) and black granite benchtops. Custom-made leadlight doors used for the overhead cupboards were designed by Kerri and Malcolm; special provision was made for the integration of the refrigerator and microwave as well as the dishwasher. A wall oven is complemented by hotplates integrated into the benchtops.
Vanilla ceramic tiles have been used for the smart, crisp splashback while an island in the middle of the room provides a boon not only for food preparation but also for essential cookroom storage. Views to the back decking from the window above the sink and easy access to the outdoor entertaining area via the adjoining dining area – which is furnished with a robust hardwood dining setting – further help to emphasise the bright, airy feel of the space.
The other part of the house which has been so dramatically overhauled is the bathroom. Once walls had been moved to create more space, a tessellated floor in cream and heritage green was laid. Vanilla brick tiles used for the walls are topped with a rose-embossed frieze and capping tile, a key focal point of the room being the lovely old leadlight window which came from the former entrance. A modern-made clawfoot slipper bath is ever-inviting for luxuriating soak-ups.
The scheme has been repeated in the nearby laundry where inbuilt laminated cabinetry serves to help make the hardworking room supremely efficient and practical. An imported wallpaper frieze sets the country mood and inspires a collection of nostalgic-style collectables. Slumber time finds the Cooks in their delightful master bedroom, Kerri stating that it is still a work in progress. The space is elegant in its simplicity, with gold damask drapes at the windows and cream lace curtains – wonderful for day-time privacy – behind. The crowning feature of the room is a mahogany bedstead with inset leadlight panel in the headboard and inbuilt pew at the foot. Kerri has dressed the bed in a crisp broderie anglaise bedset and a favourite bear decked out in lace. The guest room is a little more elaborately adorned, Kerri telling that here she has let childhood fancies take flight. “The room is devoted to what I dreamt of as being the ideal bedroom back when I was a little girl. And considering it is where our three-year-old granddaughter Aisha sleeps when she comes to stay, I officially have an excuse for all its pretty dolls and teddies. It's the perfect young lady's boudoir … though I'm not sure what I'm going to do when our grandson Zane, who is just one, is old enough to stay over and demands all the dolls and pretty things to be gone” Kerri jokes.
Meanwhile, until that day comes, the hardwood bed in the room is topped with a broderie anglaise doona cover and shams, and dusky rose quilted coverlet. A Federation dressing table and matching linen press – now converted to a wardrobe – which originally belonged to Kerri's grandmother also furnish the room.
“Standing back and surveying the fruits of nearly a year's hard labour, I have to admit that the effort has been well worth it. I think we have done everything we can possibly do to transform the old cottage and, in the process, we've put our heart and soul into the place” states Kerri. “It's amazing to think that in just over a year it has really come to feel such a part of us. With its quaint character indoors and its al fresco dining and entertaining outdoors, it's not just a house, it's a lifestyle. It's a home with a heart and a fitting reflection of who we are … not to mention being the outcome of a whole lot of effort!” she adds.
---------------------------- The Sentimental Way
The world makes up for all its follies and injustices by being damnably sentimental. (Thomas Huxley 1825 – 1895)
“The drought was really the reason we had to make the move. It was heartbreaking running sheep and cattle with no water for the stock. And the broad acre wheat and barley side of the farm operation was just as impossible. Billy is the fifth generation of his family to work the property, so it was also difficult knowing that we were walking away from the family legacy. However, there is comfort in the fact that Billy’s brother has now taken over the reins. The other major consideration we had was the opportunities the boys were missing out on being so far away from town. Having done an apprenticeship in carpentry in Mildura some 15 years earlier before returning to work on the farm, Billy was confident he would be able to find work closer to Melbourne, and so it seemed that the move was the only real option we had” Kelly explains.
And so the search began. In an act of divine confirmation that the couple had made the right decision to do the move, a house was soon found. In amazing original condition, the Californian bungalow the couple discovered suited their style and passion for nostalgia to a tee. “The whole house was in very good original condition. All the original leadlight doors and windows were still in place, as was the pedestal basin in the bathroom and cast iron bath. The plaster ceilings, cornices and light fittings remain just as they were when first installed nearly 60 years ago. Since buying the house and moving in, we’ve painted the entire interior and are gradually adding ‘essentials’ such as a new hot water system, picket fencing and ultimately, a new kitchen. Other modifications planned for modern living include the inclusion of two bedrooms in the roof (which is wonderfully spacious and will easily accommodate two bedrooms for the boys) and the addition of a deck off the kitchen at the back of the house. But in the meantime, the three bedroom home – with its spacious lounge and separate dining room, its vintage kitchen and original bathroom, deep shady front verandah so typical of bungalow architecture, its combination of hardwood and cypress pine floorboards and its other quirky period features – offers Kelly and Billy enough decorating opportunities … for now! Kelly best describes her decorating style as ‘nostalgic country’ … something that is certainly portrayed throughout the home’s entire interior. From the master bedroom with its half-tester bed draped with vintage lace, to the kitchen with its beautiful old meatsafes, original dressers and collections of enamelware and vintage china; from the dining room where more of the Mott’s original enamelware is displayed to passageways leading to the various rooms that play host to unique pieces such as an Edwardian cane commode, an ornate antique mangle which originally came from Hahndorf in South Australia (below left), an American Empire ice chest (below middle) and 1930s meatsafe complete with original blue paint finish and draped with calico sugar bags from the 1930s (below right) … the house brims with wonderful old treasures which complement the period style of the abode, at the same time offering up a wonderful slice of the past in the here and now.
“I guess we were blessed to have all the right pieces to go into the house and, vice versa, were very fortunate to find the right home to go with all our old furnishings and collected wares. We did have to get rid of some of the old treasures we owned … a consequence of the fact that we were moving from a large farmhouse to a three-bedroom home in town, but what we now have around us is our very favourite, most special pieces” explains Kelly.
These include that marvellous cast iron Kooka stove with its four burners, roasting oven and separate grill (right). Eight meatsafes are also a significant part of the inventory, including a compact 19th century pine one from the Barossa Valley (left) which features a single cupboard and drawer in the lower section, the unit being used to display just some of the family’s original enamel canisters, teapots and jugs. On a late 1800s scrubbed pine dresser (below left), Kelly’s favourite collection of vintage and antique Asiatic Pheasant ironstone dinnerware is put on show while on another scrubbed pine meatsafe-based dresser with original mesh insets (below middle & right), a collection of old willow china from a range of different English makers further reveals her enduring love of blue and white ceramics. Also in the dining room – where most of the vintage china is displayed – there’s a robust scrubbed pine vintage farmhouse table and original pressback chairs. Here, as in most other parts of the house, the walls are painted a fresh, creamy yellow called ‘Mill Flour’ by Dulux, the colour being the perfect foil for the warm golden tones of much of the Mott’s vintage wooden furnishings.
The bed in the master bedroom is another significant piece Billy and Kelly could never part with. It’s an original double half-tester that has been professionally modified to now be queen size. Over the tester, Kelly displays a collection of vintage lace panels and old lingerie, including pairs of pantaloons which once worn by the ladies of the late 19th century. The bed is dressed with a Marcella quilt, matching pillow shams and a 1920s pieced quilt top which Kelly bought from America. At the end of the bed an old enamel ewer and basin – with matching bedpan which once belonged to Billy’s grandparents – sits on its original cast iron stand.
In all, the house, its furnishings and unique collectable contents all combine to create a wonderful slice of yesteryear character which is still very much a part of the here and now. “It’s like living in the past, in the present. We have tried to always procure original pieces – never reproductions – so that authenticity is retained. And the other thing we’ve paid attention to is the aspect of handmade as we’ve added a collection of handcrafted items – especially cloth dolls and bears – in the best traditions of the country ways of old” states Kelly.
---------------------------- An Enchanting Approach
The true essence of enchantment Lies in the promise of dreams And the inspiration grasped by the greatest artist (Louise De Culleon 1812 – 1893)
Ann-Marie and husband Trevor live in a superb, contemporary-built Queenslander on half an acre of land with views across to Fraser Island, on the Queensland Sunshine Coast. They purchased the property some fifteen years ago when it was two years old, and since that time have worked tirelessly to make the weatherboard residence – with its tongue-and groove interior walls, hardwood flooring and cathedral ceilings – their own by way of employing an individual interpretation of country style decorating and furnishing.
With a combination of old and newly-made glass baubles, an array of handcrafted ornaments, flotsam and jetsam that has been collected on the beach and given a gold painted finish, vintage Christmas treasures, things of metal and wood, traditional Santa figures and heavenly angels, ornaments fashioned in tribute to man’s best friend and his feline equivalent, plus a host of other such distinctive decorations, the interior of the Lavers-Grimm’s home takes on an enchanting look that annually delights all visitors – family and friends alike.
Come Christmastime, Ann-Marie’s love of the festive season, and her great skill at creating unique decorative arrangements throughout all the rooms of her Queensland home, really come to the fore. From its wide front verandah to its master bedroom, from its guest quarters and office to its open-plan spacious living area which incorporates entrance and kitchen, dining and lounge, the home of the Lavers-Grimm provides a wonderfully rustic country ‘stage’ on which Ann-Marie annually works her Christmas decorating magic.
Each year there’s different themes chosen for different displays. A huge dried twig tree in the lounge room – the ideal means of showcasing a wide collection of burgundy and gold glass ornaments and decorations – was the star attraction one year, and then the next a cane conical tree took its place, surrounded by amber glass collectables. White feathered doves – once used for a pink and white tree – now adorn a garland of greenery across the windows in the living area, with fairy lights intertwined. Ornaments which pay tribute to cats and dogs decorate the branches of a dowel tree which sits on the verandah and was made for Ann-Marie by her father-in-law some 20 years ago.
Vintage ornaments of glass and figural decorations of various mediums are grouped together in bowls and displayed on benches and table tops. They are dotted amongst the china and glassware on dressing tables and buffets; they’re placed where the soft illumination of table-top lamps will show them off to best advantage; and they’re even incorporated into pre-existing displays on bookcases and dresser shelves filled with china.
The ultimate result, as the pictures here attest, is completely enchanting as Ann-Marie’s Christmas decorating style adds a unique, personal quality to what is a distinct, wonderfully rustic country home overlooking the Pacific within an idyllic Queensland coastal setting.
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To complement the verandah and to achieve a quintessential country feel, Kerri and Malcolm then added a delightful picket fence – painted the same colour as the exterior of the house – and an impressive lychgate. Both the top of the portico leading onto the verandah and the peak on the lychgate were then crowned with finials and trimmed with fretwork – done by a specialist in Adelaide – depicting a rising sun. As Kerri explains “the motif not only helps to bestow a Federation feel on the house, it is also a reflection of the fact that the home is our little ray of sunshine.” To complement the fresh cream of the exterior woodwork, all trimmings feature traditional Colorbond ‘Mist Green'. 
But ultimately, rooms began to take shape. Two bedrooms were completely renovated and painted out – one for Kerri and Malcolm and the other for their two grandchildren. A third bedroom was surrendered to create the dining room off the kitchen, the overall space being the main living area in collaboration with the lounge room and a skillion sunroom which, in its previous form, was an entrance hallway. As Malcolm tells “the renovations allowed us to alter the access by installing a new entrance portico and doors which access the lounge room at the front of the house. From here a passageway leads to the guest bedroom and bathroom and then, further on, to the kitchen and dining area.
To further help create the sense of freshness and light throughout the entire interior, the Cooks have painted all walls and ceilings with Solver's ‘Cream Stone', using furnishings, accessories and imported American wallpaper borders to achieve the essential warmth and character which is so much a part of the invitation and charm of the restored cottage. As Kerri maintains “the house is just too small to indulge in deep wall colours and dramatic window effects. By using a cream paint throughout all the rooms, and even applying it to the ceilings, we've been able to achieve an illusion of space and light.” 
From the country to the town. From the family homestead on 11,000 acres to a Californian bungalow on a domestic block. Such has been the passage, in recent times, of Victorian couple Billy and Kelly Mott. Together with young sons Jack (12) and Thomas (8), the Motts were faced with a life-changing decision just over a year ago … to leave their property in Victoria’s northern Mallee region and pursue a new life – and work – closer to the urban sprawl. As Kelly tells, it was not a decision which came easily…
Having resolved to make such a major ‘sea change’, the most important thing the Motts agreed on from the start was finding an old house with the character and quintessential nostalgic charm with which they were familiar. And as Kelly tells, she had so many vintage collectables she had amassed over more than 10 years, she really had to have a house that would suit all her beloved treasures – especially her original enamelware, wonderful array of antique and vintage prams, old scales, gorgeous old teddies and artist bears, meatsafes and a wide array of other old pieces … all of which signify ‘home’ to both she and Billy.
The kitchen will be built around a wonderful vintage, fully-reconditioned gas-powered cream and green cast iron Kooka stove (left) which has been converted for modern use. We bought it some time ago and it’s presently sitting in the dining room to display my original set of enamel teapots and matching Dutch oven and steamer set” tells Kelly.
In the bedroom, as in various other parts of the house, Kelly’s passion for bears – both vintage and artisan-designed – as well as her love of old scales is well evidenced. A beautiful teddy called ‘Edwina’ which was made by Victorian bear artist Sue Alvey of ‘Charlotte Rose Bears’ is dressed in a gown of vintage lace (left & below left) and sits inside a wonderful Victorian perambulator, resplendent in original condition. In the corner of the room, atop a meatsafe – which came from Billy’s grandparents – is a set of vintage Hanson nursery scales (made in Chicago, USA) which is the venue for the display of a pair of bears (below middle), one being a much-loved souvenir from the 1920s. Kelly has several other sets of the coveted nursery scales as well as wonderful artisan bears, including a collection of Gilson Bears (by artisan Carol Gilson) which are unique handcrafted teddies of ‘military breeding’ … gorgeous chaps embellished with old war memorabilia and other such vintage items to play up their respective army and navy affiliations (below right).
“Coming home each day not only offers the promise of personal refuge and sanctuary, but also means that when we cross the threshold we can step back in time as well …to where things were less complicated and more honest and sentimental. I guess ‘sentimentality’ really is one of the key guiding forces in the way that I love to decorate as it means so much to both Billy and I to be surrounded by things that have come from the family and thus have special meaning and a heart connection. Especially considering the fact that life has brought us from the farm and the people we love, to the town, they are all never far away due to the wonderful treasures which we have around us, each item representing a special memory and connection with a time, a place or a significant person” she adds. Call her sentimental indeed … there’s really no better way to make a house a home!
Some have a predilection for greenery swags and pine cones; others love rustic wooden ornaments and handcrafted fabric creations. Queenslander Ann-Marie Lavers-Grimm loves all these things in moderation. But for this talented country decorator, her greatest delight is dressing her home for the festive season with things that are shiny and bright … beautiful vintage and contemporary-made glass baubles and sparkling glass pebbles in silver, gold and clear which she artfully arranges on tabletops and benches throughout the entire interior of her home to create a wide series of enchanting vignettes.
No time of the year is the couple’s individual interpretation of the country look better evidenced than around Christmas, especially when Ann-Marie hauls out her vast collection of delicate glass ornaments and decorations and starts to transform the look within each room. The process normally commences around the beginning of December and usually takes a few days, with treatments carried out in sympathy with the main colour scheme in each space.
While Ann-Marie is professionally employed in a local pharmacy, after seeing how she artfully adorns her house for the Christmas season, one can be forgiven for thinking that she might be a professional display artist. While not formally trained in such disciplines, she attributes a deal of her passion and ability to group and balance objects together in visually pleasing, innovative and well-balanced arrangements to her grandmother who was also naturally talented at such things and had a wonderful home that was brimming with all sorts of ornamentation and unique collectables.
“I usually collect interesting pieces – glass ornaments and other such decorations – throughout the year … from department and country stores as well as garage sales, op shops and the like, and group them in the various rooms of the house so that they reflect the main colour theme in each space … from purples and olive greens in the guest quarters to navy and white in the master bedroom and traditional red and green in the office. Even the front door has its own special treatment, with a wide ribbon used to give the impression that the front door has been gift wrapped” explains Ann-Marie.