My Houzz: Embracing the Calm and Comfort of Country Life
Meander down this tree-lined lane in Australia, and you’ll find a secluded homestead that provides plenty of room for relaxation
Living in the picturesque country town of Daylesford, Australia, it isn’t too difficult for artists Micky Allan and Steenus von Steensen to find the time to enjoy the finer things in life. The couple live on a property surrounded by nature and have renovated and decorated their home to suit their creative lifestyles. Color and artwork take center stage in their living areas, and a dedicated studio space at the back of the property promotes even more creativity.
Allan and von Steensen knew they were home when they first walked up the driveway to the house. “There was an avenue of eucalyptus trees, and we fell in love with it because of its spaciousness, seclusion and proximity to Daylesford town center,” von Steensen says.
Inside, the home is cozy and colorful; Allan describes their style as “sparse but warm, reliant on color and artworks to create both intimacy and expansion.” She says she thinks of her house as a canvas, and this can be seen in the pearlescent polka dots she painted on one wall in the living room. This is one of the couple’s favorite features of the house. “The polka dots on the wall provide a sense of both subtlety and fun,” Allan says.
Allan also loves keeping flowers around the house. Her mother was taught ikebana — the Japanese art of flower arranging — in Japan and passed her passion on to Allan. The aesthetic of the tradition stresses that a space is as important as what fills it. She has adopted the same method of arranging.
Allan also loves keeping flowers around the house. Her mother was taught ikebana — the Japanese art of flower arranging — in Japan and passed her passion on to Allan. The aesthetic of the tradition stresses that a space is as important as what fills it. She has adopted the same method of arranging.
The wood-burning stove gives off ample heat, and the colorful carpet adds another layer of warmth. They originally considered installing bamboo flooring but decided against it and are very happy instead with their choice of this rich aqua carpet.
Von Steensen developed a bad back while working as a nurse and finds the yellow chair from Fantastic Furniture to be the most comfortable seat in the house.
Von Steensen developed a bad back while working as a nurse and finds the yellow chair from Fantastic Furniture to be the most comfortable seat in the house.
On the wall in the dining room is a painting from a sea-focused series Allan worked on while doing her doctorate in Canberra. It represents the reflections of objects in the sea; some are deeper under the water and some are lighter on the surface.
Outside the kitchen window is a view onto an expansive lawn that will one day become an edible garden. A kangaroo regularly lounges out here, sunning itself on the grass in full sight. The property extends to a fence line of beautiful gum trees.
Allan painted luminescent stripes above the kitchen cabinets to add a personal touch to the space. While they like the open-plan layout, the couple eventually want to renovate the kitchen, adding light blue accent tiles as a backsplash, along with new countertops and cabinetry.
Allan painted luminescent stripes above the kitchen cabinets to add a personal touch to the space. While they like the open-plan layout, the couple eventually want to renovate the kitchen, adding light blue accent tiles as a backsplash, along with new countertops and cabinetry.
Inside the master bedroom on the wall opposite the bed is a full-height and full-length painting, which gives the couple a lovely view to wake up to.
On the ceiling over their bed, Allan painted a collection of stars. When they first moved back to Daylesford, the couple lived with their friend in a little cottage. The bed there had the headboard right up against a window, and every night they could see the stars overhead as they went to sleep. They wanted to re-create this experience inside their own room and used a projector to get the spacing right.
The guest bedroom is also Allan’s personal office, where she worked on her doctorate. Hung on the wall above her desk, this painting is an engraved glass piece created with “a bit of coral, thick paint and thin paint,” Allan explains. The artist says it explores “the sense of things in flux and shifting, and a tiny bit of glitter that expresses the inherent liveliness of things.”
Red fold-out sofa: Fantastic Furniture
Red fold-out sofa: Fantastic Furniture
Allan and von Steensen are also avid photographers. Together in von Steensen’s study, they create collages of their photographs; some are of artworks, and some of them have a layer of engraved glass over the top, while others are also hand-painted. They both suggest combinations that yield something they wouldn’t have done individually, creating a third and preferred option.
Several yards away from the house is Allan’s studio, where she paints. The conversion of a three-car garage to a studio was completed before the couple moved in. The garage floors were sealed and carpet squares were installed, along with new glass doors, insulation and plasterboard. They plan to build a storeroom for paintings next to the studio to free up more space for creating. They also plan to build a carport.
Inside her brightly lighted studio, Allan works at her mixed-media table and has ample space to create numerous artworks of varying size.
Next to the studio is the couple’s greenhouse, where they grow fresh herbs and vegetables. The plants will be moved out to the garden once they mature.
What von Steensen and Allan love most about their home is the way it supports their lifestyles. “The studio is close enough that we can go to work across the courtyard. We can see the birds fly past outside our living room windows, and we can wake up to the wind in the gum trees and the magpies greeting the new day,” Allan says.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Micky Allan and her husband, Steenus von Steensen
Location: Daylesford, Victoria, Australia
Size: Three bedrooms, one bathroom
It was two and a half years ago that Allan and von Steensen bought their house, and they knew it would take some elbow grease to turn it into their dream home. The couple pulled up the old carpets and gave the rooms a fresh coat of color, along with some creatively painted accents. They then renovated the garage and turned it into a spacious and bright studio, which now serves as a workspace.