Table of contents for February 2022 in Country Style

off, because December was too busy and we were away in January, can’t be delayed any longer. Others may have a spring clean, but I have a late-summer clean. I get rid of clothes that don’t fit the girls, and organise the kitchen cupboards, the pantry and all our wardrobes. But the place that needs most of my attention – and I say place, not room – is the dining table, which served as a full-time home office for both my husband and me for several months last year… and the year before that. We haven’t seen the Tasmanian silky oak surface I love so much for years and I hope 2022 will see us return to family meals around the table, not crowded around the island bench. As well…

CLINTON SCHULTZ IS used to revolutionising industry. “We were the first non-alcoholic craft beer to launch in Australia,” says the psychologist, 42, of his company Sobah, which he launched in 2017. “I quit drinking because I wanted my children to have an opportunity to learn something different from what Australian society suggests is normal,” says Clinton, who has three sons – Maliyan, 13, Bowen, 11, and Waylon, five – with wife Lozen, 40. “Australia has a really unhealthy relationship with alcohol; and alcohol is seen at pretty much every social engagement, from a one-year-old’s birthday onwards. I wanted my children to see something different.” But Clinton didn’t like any of the alcohol-free options available. “I love beer,” he says, “and I wanted to still enjoy the flavour of beer.” So…

THERE IS SOMETHING INVIGORATING about rising at dawn, with a chill still in the air, to put in a good day’s work – but knowing you will be helping others and giving something back puts an extra spring in your step. You see, I have volunteered for Remount, a charity that my friends Ben and Marina Maguire run with their 15-year-old daughter, Harriette, at their property, GunBen, in Bowning, NSW. Remount sees service veterans and first-responders – and their families – affected by post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues get on horseback, learn horsemanship skills and muster cattle over a weekend. It’s equine therapy in its most pure form, and the program has been described as “life-changing” by many participants. I first met Marina and Ben when Harriette…

MILLIE COOPER WAS VISITING HER PARTNER, Isobel Walsh, in beautiful Byron Bay, on the NSW North Coast, when the pandemic sent Sydney into its first lockdown in 2020. To avoid having to isolate when she returned to Sydney, Millie decided to extend her trip a little longer. “A couple of weeks turned into a few months, and now nearly two years have gone by,” says Millie, who founded her successful graphic and web design agency, Design by Mouse, in 2009. “I’m lucky enough to be able to work from anywhere – all I need is reliable internet and my laptop, so it was an easy decision to stay working in paradise during lockdown.” Millie’s three-year-old miniature schnauzer, Theodore, had come along for the ride, so there was no need to…

• The interior is painted in Resene Quarter Black White. • Nicki’s favourite local shops include: The Eclectic Pallet, @theeclecticpallet; Vintage Roads, @vintage_roads; Sam’s Farm Fresh Fruit and Veg, @sams_farm_fresh_fruit_and_veg; and the Granite Belt Farmers’ Market in Stanthorpe. • Among her top places to shop online are: Lady Chatterley’s Affair, ladychatterleysaffair.com.au; Michael Allen Antiques, michaelallenantiques.com; Vintage Art Room, @vintageartroom; and The Old Boathouse @theoldboathouse_dock • Local tradespeople Nicki hired include: Builder Scott Boyd from Boyd Property Enhancement; electrician Will McCrystal from Gathered Energy, who rewired the house; gardener Shane from S&M Handyman Services; and Joe Cannavo, who is a tomato farmer in summer and house painter in winter.…

COTTAGE GARDENS ARE bountiful expressions of colour and life, woven through with nostalgia and romance. For Leisa Rossignol, the owner of this pretty patch located in the Southern Queensland town of Toowoomba, that sentiment couldn’t ring more true. Awash with delicate florals and defined with reclaimed materials and meaningful objects, her garden is a perfect fit for the sweet weatherboard cottage that has sat on the plot for more than a century. “I’ve always loved older properties and antique collectables,” says Leisa, who, along with her French-born husband Serge, has built up this delightful garden oasis on a 630-square-metre block in just a few short years. Leisa bought the property in 2015, drawn to the home’s original details of pressed metal ceilings and ornate breezeway panels, and its convenient location…

BEAUTIFUL BERRIMA in the NSW Southern Highlands is known for its historic charm and picturesque surroundings. But for decades, it has also been the country home of musician Jimmy Barnes and Jane, his wife of 40 years. In their sprawling sandstone house on the banks of the Wingecarribee River, the pair host family, garden, play music, and – crucially – cook. In fact, the feasts they serve up to their guests have become so celebrated that Jimmy and Jane have now co-authored a cookbook showcasing some of their favourite recipes. Along with gorgeous photography of the family’s riverside home, Where the River Bends includes stories of their life together – and, of course, those recipes. More than 70 of them, in fact, ranging from healthy breakfasts and light lunches through…

BRUNSWICK HEADS IS ONE of those authentic, small coastal villages where lasting holiday memories are made. Like so many who visit “Bruns”, Louisa Mudge quickly fell in love with the town of just over 1700 people. “The natural beauty speaks for itself. The quieter lifestyle, the beach and the river, the incredibly friendly people, fishing, the farmers’ markets and nearby camping spots – it’s easy to see why,” the 31-year-old says. Louisa moved to Brunswick Heads six years ago after visiting her brothers who had moved there. She had grown up in the small seaside town of Austinmer, near Wollongong, and in her final year of university had travelled to Spain to complete a component of her degree. “Little did I know that I’d spend more of my time there…

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TAXIDERMY MIGHT SEEM like an unusual hobby for anyone to pursue, but it was considered an appropriate skill for a woman to obtain in the late 19th century. Perhaps it was that the dissection and preparation necessary to preserve and present animals in lifelike poses required the delicate care and attention to detail associated with women. It was also a hobby that required minimal equipment and could be undertaken in a drawing room, kitchen or shed. Jane Tost, the first woman to be employed at the Australian Museum in Sydney, was appointed as a taxidermist in 1864. With her daughter, Ada, she later established a successful taxidermy business in Sydney and the pair won prizes for their work. Unfortunately, it is not known who created this face screen, but it…

CHRISTOPHER MORRISON Photographer Chris, who took the images of florist Rebecca Starling on page 34, loves heading out to the country on work assignments. “I’m a city boy,” says Chris, 32. “I grew up 10 minutes north of the Adelaide CBD. But I have spent countless weekends at my parents’ friends’ farm, down in the south-east of the state.” Still based in Adelaide with his wife, Evi, and two young sons – Xavier, five, and Elijah, three – Chris made the leap into full-time photography aged 23, and loves travelling for work, particularly into rural areas. “When my boys are a little older, I can’t wait to take them into the country and watch them as they look up at the stars on a clear night for the first time.…

FLOOR SHOW Made to withstand kids, pets and furniture-moving, engineered hardwood flooring is one of the best decisions you can make for your home. Kustom Timber can help with design, floor preparation, installation and maintenance. Visit kustomtimber.com.au CHECK IT OUT In crisp black or romantic pink, the elegantly simple gingham Giselle dress from Hygge Dresses is slow fashion, ethically made in Australia. Visit hyggedress.com BRING IN BEAUTY In a balanced, harmonious interior, texture often trumps colour. So Home Beautiful’s collection of cushions and throws is just the ticket for a quick living room or bedroom update: simple stripes and calm shades of mist, white and charcoal make for timeless style. Visit myhouse.com.au/ pages/home-beautiful TOWEL UP Soft, stripy and endlessly useful: linen beach towels dry you after a dip, dust off…

• The custom hardwood doors and windows were crafted by Teal Windows, tealwindows.com.au • Hardware on doors and windows was done by TradCo, tradco.com.au • The cabinetry in the studio kitchen was installed by Sanctuary Kitchens, sanctuarykitchens.com.au • Heritage lights for the verandahs were sourced from Lighting Collective, lightingcollective.com.au • For the studio bedroom, Millie and Isobel chose 100 per cent French bed linen from Salt Living, saltliving.com.au; while the guest rooms feature bedding from I Love Linen, ilovelinen.com.au…

Material benefit Sick of featureless office spaces? Texture is the key. Bring in soft and tactile fabrics like sheepskin, driftwood and tufted rugs, and that bland spare room becomes a creative powerhouse. A good-quality wooden desk is a must, and don’t be afraid of an unusual wall hanging or quirky accessory – a wooden telephone or a duck ornament can bring humour and spark to your work day. Antique charm Banish plastic and embrace the past with a workspace inspired by the best of history. You may have to scour antique shops to create this look, but you won’t regret the time spent. A graceful Art Nouveau lamp is a bright spot in more ways than one, while an ornately carved desk with brass drawer handles will turn logging on…

WHEN I WAS LITTLE, one set of grandparents lived in Sydney in the house where my mum grew up. Under the living room window sat an enormous, flourishing gardenia, and to this day every time I smell gardenias, I am transported to Willoughby in the late ’70s, to a shrub I’m happily burying my face in, or hiding behind, or standing in front of with Pop, a proud gardener. Gardens are powerful places for nostalgia. Ask anyone and they’ll have a story about the hydrangeas along the wall of an old family home; the sweet peas that a special someone grew every year; or the jacaranda at university that flowered at the same time as final exams (and if it was in bloom before you started studying, you were definitely…

NIGHT IN THE CITY SET IN A 1920S ART DECO BUILDING, GIMLET AT CAVENDISH HOUSE, IN MELBOURNE, HAS A CHIC BAR YOU CAN SIT AT; BISTRO-STYLE TABLES; VELVET BOOTHS; OR FORMAL TABLES FOR A CHOOSE-YOUR-OWNADVENTURE STYLE OF DINING. IT’S A GLAMOROUS BUT COSY SETTING FOR A NEW TAKE ON OLD-SCHOOL LUXE: OYSTERS, CAVIAR, SEASONAL SEAFOOD (LEFT), T-BONE - AND PLENTY OF VEGIES AND DELICIOUS DESSERTS, TOO. DON’T MISS THE NAMESAKE GIMLET COCKTAIL. VISIT GIMLET.MELBOURNE TAKING IT HOME Love your reusable coffee cup? Sol makes beautiful vessels from hand-blown glass and now they come naked – that is, without a lid or band, so they’re ideal to use at home. Sol glasses are also safe for dishwashers and microwaves. For size options, visit solcups.com Dressing table Blues, greens and crisp whites…

REBECCA STARLING FLOWER FARMER AND FLORIST Rebecca lives on a sheep and cattle farm on the Limestone Coast, SA, with her husband, James, their retriever, Ivy, and a medley of farm dogs and cats. What do you love about living in the country? The luxury of space. The big, starry skies on a clear night, and falling asleep with no sound other than the farm animals in paddocks. I grew up in the English countryside, with rolling hills and stone villages. How would you describe your style? I have two distinct styles. Rough, tough clothes for the flower farm mean that the clothes work for me, rather than the other way round. But when I’m in the flower shop, I wear European-inspired dresses in white, mustard and navy, or floral…

ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN Lucy Diamond, Quercus, $32.99 On that June day 19 years ago, Lara woke to the certain knowledge that her destiny had finally arrived. There would be surprises and twists and turns along the way, no doubt, but no more question marks. She had found Ben. Ben had found her. End of. She was wrong. But not in the way she thought… Fast forward. She and her daughter, Eliza, leave Whitby, wet and pummelled by North Sea winds, to satisfy Eliza’s wish to locate her biological father, who’s believed to be living in New York. Diamond deals skilfully with obstacles – namely expendable partners – and the fact that there’s no such thing as a one-off explanation for what happened or did not happen in the past. Happily-ever-after…

MEMORABLE YEAR “May you live in interesting times” is a Chinese saying, and no doubt 2021 hit the mark. Having just read your December issue, I find myself reflecting over the last 12 months. I pulled out my pile of Country Style magazines and thought back on the events of the year. I reflected on my new year’s resolutions that I so carefully set and now ponder how few of those plans were fulfilled thanks to lockdown. However, as I read through stories of amazing people and their lives, the creativity of these individuals over what has been another challenging year, it did make me think that my year was not entirely unproductive. So, I have gathered my inspiration from these pages and scribbled down my goals for 2022. My…

BIGGER AND BETTER… Now in its third year, Country Style’s annual exhibition in partnership with Michael Reid Murrurundi will focus on the Country Garden, in all its incarnations. With 25 artists showcasing three works each, inspired by the theme ‘Art in the Garden’, and five ceramicists making vases to display the spoils of the garden, this exhibition is set to be our biggest yet! A series of talks and activities will also be held during the exhibition period, including beekeeping instruction and yoga sessions in the gallery grounds. WHEN Thursday, March 3 – Saturday, April 2, 2022 TIME Thursday – Sunday, 9:30am – 4pm WHERE Michael Reid Murrurundi, corner Boyd and Mayne Streets, Murrurundi, NSW, (02) 6546 6767; michaelreidmurrurundi.com.au…

I AM WRITING TO YOU, not from the cool green of my study, but from the shack, where my view is an expanse of blue. The brilliant farm season gifted us some time off, so we packed our towels and bathers (Tasmanian for swimmers), a dizzying array of fishing rods, many books and the dogs, and headed up the coast. It’s early and the bay is quiet; so quiet that I was woken by the whingeing call of the fledgling sea eagle following its parent over the bay. I’ve made a cup of coffee, let the dogs out and seated myself comfortably, hoping I’ll see the young eagle return. Their nest, a mess of sticks in the crown of a tree as straight as a skyscraper, is on the bank…

AT DAY’S END, WHEN THE SUN SENDS its final burst of brilliance across the paddocks, Rebecca and James Starling take a stroll together to observe nature’s collective sigh. The golden hour can slip by unnoticed when you’re living in some of the world’s largest cities. Three years after landing on Australian soil, they’re still soaking up the magic of it all. “We can get so caught up in jobs and the tick list, but the more you slow down, the more you take in – the birdlife, the overwhelming scent of baked eucalyptus leaves, and then those big, big starry skies that are so different to Europe,” says Rebecca, who was born in England. The couple met in a London park more than a decade ago on a glorious spring…

• Di enlisted her niece’s husband, Alex Groves from Groves Construction, to build the new extension. Call 0407 832 679, or email: office@grovesconstruction.com.au • The shack’s interior is painted in Porter’s Paints Popcorn in double-strength; the exterior is Colorbond Surfmist, and the roof is Colorbond Shale Grey. The floors echo the outdoors in a paint tinted to match Surfmist. • Much of the furniture and decor items are from Di’s shop in Launceston, Ecoco, ecoco.com.au. She also loves The Drill Hall Emporium in New Norfolk for antique finds, thedrillhall.com.au • Di painted a few pieces of furniture in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (available at Ecoco) to give the shack its lived-in feel. The kitchen cupboards were painted in Graphite. Meanwhile, the kitchen and laundry taps were custom-made using the shack’s…

IN 2015, MICHAEL AND NICKI DALTON packed up their four children and moved to Stanthorpe for a year while renovations were underway at their home in Brisbane. The Daltons lived at Michael’s parents’ vineyard, just under three hours away, managing their business and renovation from Queensland’s high country. “We didn’t want to rent locally,” Nicki, 44, explains. “We wanted to use the opportunity to do something a bit different.” That shift to the Granite Belt – known for its wine, fresh produce and distinct four seasons – turned out to be the best year of their lives. “It was a magical year of getting back to nature and so much came that I just never expected,” says Nicki. “I really thought, ‘We’ll just go and live down there for a…

STYLIST AND JOURNALIST SARA SILM was living the expat life in Europe with her family when a friend suggested they buy a house in the Béarn, at the foot of the Pyrénées in south-west France. Sara’s brief to her real-estate agent was ‘unrenovated’ and that’s exactly what they got when, on the very last day of their search in 2015, they first set eyes on the Château Montfort, a dilapidated country house built in the mid-19th century. The floors were collapsing, the roof needed replacing, and everything was covered in dust and mould. But the magic of the French countryside, and the elegant decay of the château, had Sara in its grip, and it was soon theirs. The renovation was an enormous task – a dilapidated barn also needed a…

I USED TO THINK that I was spiritually Italian. When I left Melbourne in 1987, I thought it would be the last time I’d live in Australia for many years as I had my heart set on a life in Tuscany or Campania. However, over the years, I’ve come around to thinking that I might actually be spiritually Greek. Why? Well, let me explain. I’ve worked with many Greek-Australians over the years and championed their food, having found a great respect for the rich history of Greek cooking. Plus, I love taramasalata and, occasionally, I answer to “Stavros”. I feel that Greek food has, sadly, been left in the shadows of flashier and more bombastic cuisines. But how good and simple is a plate of dips, some grilled fish, and…

BYNG STREET BOUTIQUE HOTEL ORANGE, NSW Heading to Orange for a weekend of gourmet indulgence? Book a stay at the Federation-era Byng Street Boutique Hotel. Immaculately styled, the historical homestead offers luxury rooms and a sophisticated guest lounge. Visit byngstreethotel.com.au BISHOP’S COURT ESTATE BATHURST, NSW The streets of Bathurst are lined with stately Victorian homes, including the elegant Bishop’s Court Estate. Step from the hotel’s gracious interior into its tranquil gardens and you’re in another era. Visit bishopscourtestate.com.au COAST HOUSE TASMANIA CYGNET, TAS This might be the world’s best place to unplug and relax. Secluded on its own private peninsula, Coast House offers endless views over the Huon River. Soak it all in from the covered verandah, complete with firepit and outdoor fireplace. Visit coasthousetasmania.com RED FEATHER INN HADSPEN, TAS…

MULTI-TASKING BEAUTY PRODUCTS are in demand these days, and the newest mascaras deliver myriad benefits: longer lift, bold definition and long-lasting nourishment. FORMULATION FIRST If you haven’t updated in a while, let us catch you up quickly: mascaras ain’t the simple eyelash paints they used to be. Yours might stretch lashes up to the ceiling or give you volume that goes ‘boom!’ when you blink but, these days, if your mascara isn’t also giving your lashes a treatment, it’s just being lazy. “Eyelashes are made of the same stuff as your hair – if you want them to look lush, you need moisture; you need to condition them,” says make-up artist Max May. “Hybrids that give you the instant effect with a long-term benefit is really where all make-up is…

ELEGANT SETTING The Java dining table has a sleek oak veneer tabletop with bold, black metal cross legs. Complement with grey Jade dining chairs. harveynorman.com.au ELEVATE YOUR WARDROBE Calexico is the Australian home of the best international designers. Enjoy free domestic shipping and returns. calexico.com.au HANDCRAFTED KEEPSAKE Wrap your hands around a handmade mug by Ballarat artist Ruby Pilven, or brighten your home with vases decorated with gold lustre. rubypilven.com TRAVEL WELL This 2Duck single-strap basket – with one set of long strap handles – is the perfect carryall for the beach, shops or out and about. 2ducktrading.com.au CLEAN SWEEP Since 1972, Australian-designed Eezy Fabric Combs have been helping keep your home free of pet hair, fuzz balls and lint. theoriginalfabriccomb.com MAKE A STATEMENT Villique offers European coordinates and special-occasion…

I MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT that one of the most popular shows on television was The Simpsons. Or Doctor Who. Or Game of Thrones. Or M*A*S*H. But that was before we came to park our wagon on the Central West Prairie. Here, all around us, the interiors of modest dwellings flicker with the iridescent blue electrons of TV screens synchronised on The Weather Channel. Weather is King out here. Weather is the prevailing topic of conversation. Enquiring minds ask: “What’s the weather going to do?” If you don’t watch The Weather Channel, don’t expect conversation with those who do. On sunny days, everyone observes: “Could do with a drop of rain.” On wet days, they say: “Cow of a day.” Call at the corner store and they ask: “Bring the rain…