Houzz Tour: Cozy Country Cottage Provides a Family’s R&R
An Australian interior designer updates a 1900s home for escapes from the city
Who doesn’t dream of owning their own little country cottage? Somewhere to escape to when the hustle and bustle of the city gets to be too much. Australian homeowners Suzanne and Adam Cunningham now can split their time between Melbourne and Daylesford, where they’ve renovated and customized a period vacation home to retreat to with their children any time of year.
The property is close to open farmland, which the family likes to venture into together. “We love that there are so many places nearby to walk and explore,” Suzanne says.
The cottage decor showcases Suzanne’s personal style. In the living room, at the front of the house, the aim was to create an open, warm feel. “Being a Victorian cottage, it’s not a huge space, but it does have very high ceilings,” Suzanne says. To emphasize this height, she hung curtains several inches above the windows, to make them seem even longer.
Gray armchair: Jardan; Cross Base table: Mark Tuckey; Dr. Spinner pendant light: Dowel Jones; rug: Armadillo & Co.
Gray armchair: Jardan; Cross Base table: Mark Tuckey; Dr. Spinner pendant light: Dowel Jones; rug: Armadillo & Co.
Suzanne also layered the room with warm textures such as the leather couch from Freedom, along with wool and other fabrics.
One of her favorite aspects of the home is what it can offer at different times of the year. “In the winter it’s so cozy and the perfect place to cocoon inside. You can curl up in an armchair or on the sofa and read a book or look out onto the garden,” she says. “In summer, we love spending time enjoying the outdoor spaces and puttering around the garden.”
Floor lamp: Ikea
One of her favorite aspects of the home is what it can offer at different times of the year. “In the winter it’s so cozy and the perfect place to cocoon inside. You can curl up in an armchair or on the sofa and read a book or look out onto the garden,” she says. “In summer, we love spending time enjoying the outdoor spaces and puttering around the garden.”
Floor lamp: Ikea
The kitchen is open-plan, and the couple wanted to to make it an eat-in design, which is different from what they have at home. The galley-style kitchen suits the young family and offers more space to move around in.
The open shelving not only provides extra storage, but also gives Suzanne another place to display her decor, including these beautiful glass jars used for storing herbs. “This is a really important space to me as I love cooking — and eating!” she says.
Suzanne decided to paint the wood floors for an English cottage feel. She and Adam lived in England for a couple of years as newlyweds, and she remembered seeing this style of flooring there. “It really changed the whole feeling of the house and made everything feel much lighter,” she says.
There are a few splurge pieces throughout the home, including this Mark Tuckey dining table, which adds warmth to the room.
Bentwood chairs: Thonet; pendant light: Douglas and Bec
There are a few splurge pieces throughout the home, including this Mark Tuckey dining table, which adds warmth to the room.
Bentwood chairs: Thonet; pendant light: Douglas and Bec
One of the biggest challenges the couple faced was living in Melbourne during the renovation. It’s an hour and a half away, and if something went wrong and a quick decision had to be made, the couple had to make the drive. “However, we were so fortunate with the builder and tradesmen we had,” Suzanne says. “They understood our vision and worked really hard to achieve it for us, even when we weren’t there.”
Though they hired professionals for most of the work, the couple painted the interiors themselves. Suzanne says that, in retrospect, this was a bit of false economy, since it took them much longer than expected.
Though they hired professionals for most of the work, the couple painted the interiors themselves. Suzanne says that, in retrospect, this was a bit of false economy, since it took them much longer than expected.
Grace and Tom share a bedroom. Though it can be tricky to decorate in non-gender-specific colors and furnishings, Suzanne achieved it with ease. Using neutral backdrops, she added pops of color to make things fresh and interesting.
When the home isn’t being used by the family, it’s rented out to guests seeking their own slice of country life. The goal in decorating the bedrooms, including this guest bedroom, Suzanne says, was to create a restful yet interesting space. “I used cool colors such as gray and then layered in linen in neutral tones.”
Eggcup stool: Mark Tuckey; lamp: Milk & Sugar; quilt: Gorman; wall art: Tamara Maynes
Eggcup stool: Mark Tuckey; lamp: Milk & Sugar; quilt: Gorman; wall art: Tamara Maynes
The guest bedroom also features a small work area. Suzanne found the 1960s desk, designed to store maps, on eBay.
Studio K desk lamp: Planet Lighting; chair: Thonet; rug: Armadillo & Co.
Studio K desk lamp: Planet Lighting; chair: Thonet; rug: Armadillo & Co.
The master bedroom, next to the guest bedroom, is also serene in its styling. Light streams through the window, blocked when necessary by the same curtains used in the living room.
Bedding: Bedouin Societe; Gimminy bedside table: Pierre and Charlotte; Miller lamp: Fred; artwork: Belynda Henry
Bedding: Bedouin Societe; Gimminy bedside table: Pierre and Charlotte; Miller lamp: Fred; artwork: Belynda Henry
When it came to the bathrooms, the couple wanted the design to be functional and timeless. Both bathrooms originally had wood flooring, which had led to quite a bit of water damage underneath the boards. The couple replaced these with dark tiles and added this luxurious tub, since, as Suzanne says, “relaxation was such an important feature of the house.”
What Suzanne is most proud of with the project is the feeling it gives visitors. “As soon as we walk in, we feel right at home,” she says. “I love the way it looks, but it also feels very relaxed to me, somewhere people feel instantly comfortable in.”
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Suzanne Cunningham of One Girl Interiors; her husband, Adam; and their two children, Grace, 6, and Tom, 3
Location: Daylesford, Victoria state, Australia
Size: Three bedrooms, two bathrooms
The home that became Suzanne and Adam Cunningham’s country cottage was built about 1900, and featured an addition the previous owners installed in 2007. Suzanne says that when she and her husband started the search for a vacation home, they were looking for a period property they could customize to reflect their own design aesthetic. “Because we live in Melbourne and have two young children, we knew it would be very challenging to take on a project that needed significant structural work or an extension,” she says.
Though a huge amount of work wasn’t required, the customizing process included adding a new kitchen and updating the two bathrooms, which the couple gutted.