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My Houzz: Ease and Coziness in Rural Australia

Nothing is ‘too fancy or perfect’ in this 150-year-old bluestone farmhouse, but everything sure is warm and inviting

Jeni Lee April 16, 2014

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Cherie Hausler was working as a freelance food writer and stylist in Sydney, and her partner, Damien Feuerherdt, was a freelance sound engineer and musician, when Feuerherdt’s mother found a 150-year-old bluestone farmhouse for sale in Australia’s Barossa Valley. She thought it would be a perfect fit for them and suggested they move back to the countryside, where they have roots, for a quieter lifestyle.

“I’d love to say it’s superrelaxed, but the truth is, we’re busier here than when we lived in Sydney!” says Hausler. “We’re more involved. It’s a very full life, and we love it — the animals, the garden, our friends and work [are] all in the mix, so there’s always something to look forward to.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Cherie Hausler; Damien Feuerherdt; their border collie, Wolfgang; a rescued cat, Hildegard; and a variety of other animals
Location: Koonunga Hill in Barossa Valley, South Australia
Size: 2,691 square feet (250 square meters) on 10 acres; 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

Farmhouse Living Room by Jeni Lee

In redesigning the interior spaces, Hausler says the key desire was “to create a coziness that makes you feel like hanging out each time you walk into a room. That sense of ease without any need to take your boots off — nothing too fancy or perfect.”

The living room is a warm and inviting space. ”Damien is a musician, so we always have music either being played live or playing through speakers,” says Hausler. “The great thing about living so far away from any other houses is that listening at volume is never an issue.”

Farmhouse Kitchen by Jeni Lee

A friend gave the couple some great advice when they bought the property: to take their time in renovating.

“The idea was to give us a chance to find the way we moved around the space, what would make sense for our day-to-day living,” says Hausler. “It’s exactly what we’ve done: renovating bit by bit and letting good fortune fill in the gaps with inherited furniture, handmade gifts and secondhand finds.”

The freestanding wooden cabinet was inherited from Feuerherdt’s grandmother, and the space underneath is a favorite sleeping spot for the couple’s border collie puppy, Wolfgang.

Farmhouse Kitchen by Jeni Lee

There is very little split between work and home life for the couple. Hausler now grows and collects seasonal fruits and herbs, which she hand blends in the kitchen to create her range of artisan teas, Scullery Made Tea. Feuerherdt bakes sourdough bread for the Barossa Farmers Market.

“Everything seems to happen at the kitchen table,” Hausler says. “This table was Damien’s great-grandmother’s, and each time I sit down and see the burn mark from the old coal iron, I figure this table can handle a decent amount of work with what it’s already been through.”

Hausler makes her own almond milk on an almost daily basis, and the couple helps run regular local events, including the Full Moon Farm Gate and The Breakfast Rave.

Farmhouse Bedroom by Jeni Lee

Rustic Bedroom by Jeni Lee

Hausler’s treasures are mostly discovered serendipitously. “I find so many things on our morning walks: hawk’s nests or crow’s feathers, pieces of wood that I think are really beautiful,” she says. “I always try and find something to bring back when we travel too — something little to remind me of the feeling of a certain place.”

As for the home’s many handmade items, “A lot of what is homemade in our house is because I fell in love with a wool color and had to find a use for it, or desperately wanted to paint something, anything, and so ended up with a piece to hang on the wall,” says the homeowner. “Sometimes I want to tackle a big creative project like the hand-knitted rug on our bed; other times I go for the quick fix of screen-printing and make some extra tea towels for the kitchen.”

Friends have given the couple the paintings and photographs that decorate their walls.

Farmhouse by Jeni Lee

Hausler became obsessed with making sock and glove animals for a while, so “they pop up around the house too,” she says.

Farmhouse Bedroom by Jeni Lee

The guest bedroom features a pendant light Hausler fashioned out of twigs.

Farmhouse Shed by Jeni Lee

The greenhouse has changed the way the couple gardens. “It gives us year-round greens for smoothies and juices, as well as eating, and a chance to grow fruits like golden berries and pepinos,” Hausler says. “It’s amazing how much food can be grown in a 20-meter [215-foot] square. It can get pretty windy out here on the hill at times, so having the protection from that, as well as a more humid environment, has meant we can grow so many more daintier things.”

Farmhouse by Jeni Lee

“We grow most of our veggies, so we’re always bringing fresh food in from outside, along with flowers, herbs or a lovely mossy twig for a vase,” Haulser says. “We also have lots of old screen doors around the house, so we always have them open to let as much light in as possible — right up until it’s really, really too cold to do so.”

Farmhouse Patio by Jeni Lee

The outdoor eating area has a Mediterranean feel, and the outdoor shower is used often during the summer months. The couple also uncovered an in-ground cellar about 164 feet (50 meters) from the house, which they cleaned out and restored.

Victorian Exterior by Jeni Lee

The bluestone farmhouse was originally built in 1860 as the manse for St. John’s Catholic Church. After that it was owned and farmed by a local family who had the original Koonunga shearing shed.

Farmhouse Porch by Jeni Lee

The house was originally four small rooms, a typical little English cottage regardless of the harsh Australian climate. A big room was added later, which is now the master bedroom, along with a lean-to at the back and shearer’s quarters, which are used as a studio. Hausler added Hardenbergia vines to provide extra shade to the verandah on the front of the house. Hardenbergia is a native Australian vine that is a drought-tolerant and frost-resistant alternative to the more water-hungry wisteria that was traditionally used in English cottage gardens.

Farmhouse Landscape by Jeni Lee

Expansive 360-degree views stretch around the rural farmhouse, which is located on top of Koonunga Hill. Extensive lavender hedges give the bees plenty of food for a biannual honey harvest.

Farmhouse by Jeni Lee

Connection is central to how the homeowners live their lives. “We love living with daily reminders of the seasons, what phase the moon might be in or when the sun’s setting,” says Hausler.

The couple has an eclectic collection of animals: a former thoroughbred racehorse, Moose; two rescued steers, Helmet and Wilhelm; two rescued pigs, Mrs. Beeton and Mrs. Thatcher; a rescued cat, Hildegard; and too many chickens and geese and runner ducks to mention by name.

“We have a strong connection to nature through the animals we have living with us, as well as our veggie garden and daily walks,” Hausler says. “It all works toward the same goal of appreciating the bigger picture.”

Farmhouse by Jeni Lee

The couple loves puttering. “We call it sidetracking — you go out to collect eggs and decide to pat the pigs on the way through, give some carrots to the horse, pull a few weeds, realize there’s ripe figs to be picked, the garden needs watering, or you’ve finally found the left shoe our puppy ran off with weeks ago,” says Hausler. “And then you come back inside to make a pot of tea and remember the eggs!”

Farmhouse by Jeni Lee

Dedicated to the experience of good food in its entirety, Hausler (shown here) believes there are very few things in life that can’t be helped by a proper cup of tea.

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More: My Houzz: Connecting Work and Play in South Australia

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Comments (77)

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drwoof

Love the fact that your animals are rescued...& now safe from harm, able to live out their lives in peace & gentleness. Thank you!! May more find their way to you :)

1 Like May 4, 2014 at 3:35PM

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dyoll1

Love the My House feature. While I enjoy all the presentations, My House is like an enjoyable visit with the folks that live in these beautiful homes (not houses). For example, I may never reach Australia but from this tour I now get a feel for how one Australian family lives and how they came to make the choices they did. Thanks for sharing not just a structure but a bit of your life with us.

Like August 7, 2014 at 6:57AM

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juliede

Beautiful cottage. The kitchen is very cool.

1 Like September 29, 2014 at 5:25PM

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