Leonie McKillop and her husband always loved spending time in Bowral in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, so when the opportunity arose to purchase one of the Philip Cox-designed houses in Milton Park Estate, they didn’t hesitate. Th e little French-style village of privately owned country houses was built about 20 years ago, and is also home to the magnificent, historic Milton Park Hotel. Beautifully designed and set in an idyllic rural location, the house was almost perfect. In fact, there was nothing for Leonie and her husband to do but move in and add their personal touches – and for Leonie, this is an absolute passion. Having already revamped one home in Mosman and another in Palm Beach, she enjoys nothing more than decorating a house to suit its style and position. “I just love working out what the theme should be and going with it,” she says. Th eir country retreat is no exception, brimming with an eclectic collection of beautiful antiques, family heirlooms and bits and pieces collected over the years, it has a truly unique French-country charm that blends perfectly with its magnificent setting.
FRENCH-COUNTRY CHIC
The layout of the two-storey house is traditional in style. The ground level consists of the kitchen, dining room, sitting room and a glassed-in conservatory-style area, while all the bedrooms are upstairs. Leonie and her husband were happy with the colour scheme when they moved in, and left the walls as they found them. The downstairs area had been painted in an attractive creamy yellow-gold colour, giving it a ‘marbly rag look’ that fits in beautifully with the French-country theme. “Houses in Provence aren’t perfect, they’re not bright and sparkly like brand-new country homes,” Leonie says. She loves the colour for its warmth and feels it gives the space a cosy, somewhat aged atmosphere. The upstairs area is painted in an off-white colour, creating the perfect backdrop for her beautiful collection of antique paintings, photographs and decorative items. The house is carpeted with sisal throughout, however a number of French rugs from Robyn Cosgrove lie over the top, creating a comfy and charming feel.
FRENCH-COUNTRY CHIC
The layout of the two-storey house is traditional in style. The ground level consists of the kitchen, dining room, sitting room and a glassed-in conservatory-style area, while all the bedrooms are upstairs. Leonie and her husband were happy with the colour scheme when they moved in, and left the walls as they found them. Th e downstairs area had been painted in an attractive creamy yellow-gold colour, giving it a ‘marbly rag look’ that fi ts in beautifully with the French-country theme. “Houses in Provence aren’t perfect, they’re not bright and sparkly like brand-new country homes,” Leonie says. She loves the colour for its warmth and feels it gives the space a cosy, somewhat aged atmosphere. The upstairs area is painted in an off -white colour, creating the perfect backdrop for her beautiful collection of antique paintings, photographs and decorative items. Th e house is carpeted with sisal throughout, however a number of French rugs from Robyn Cosgrove lie over the top, creating a comfy and charming feel.
THE PERFECT RETREAT
The location of Milton Park Estate is ideal for Leonie and her husband, and despite having a large family home in Mosman and a house in Palm Beach, they regularly travel back and forth from their country escape. “The more time we spend at our Bowral retreat, the more we look forward to returning,” Leonie says. “The view from the house is glorious – there’s a cluster of magnifi cent 120-year-old trees, then the valley below and the wooded hills, behind which the sun sets.” With its traditional indoor layout and lovely bricked terrace, overlooking the countryside, it’s also a great house for entertaining guests. “We enjoy taking friends away for weekends of golf and bridge, and all the other wonderful options the Southern Highlands has to offer,” Leonie says. “There are restaurants, vineyards, antique shops and walks, and we have a whole community of friends residing in the area.” Leonie and her husband have adult children who also love coming to stay, either with their parents or their own friends. “We love Milton Park Estate because it not only has one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, we can also eat at the hotel’s restaurants and wander back to our villa without being breath-tested!” Leonie says. “The convenience of having access to a fantastic Spa Club and tennis courts is also a great bonus.”
HUNTING AND COLLECTING
Leonie has a wonderful eye for picking out beautiful and unusual pieces of furniture and decorative items. “I’m passionate about collecting things,” she says. “I could spend all day, every day going to shops and looking at antiques.” This is evident in their country retreat, as at every turn there’s yet another beautiful, unique item, each with a story to tell. Hanging on the wall at the front entrance is an unusual ornament – a decorative old bridle and yoke for a horse. “It would once have been used in a French village for parading horses at the local fair,” Leonie says. “I like eclectic things like that.” In addition to the various pieces she’s acquired there are many treasured family heirlooms on display, such as the gold mirror in one of the guestrooms and the French bedside tables in the master bedroom. There are many other items imported from France, such as the old door leaning against the wall in the courtyard and the bedspreads brought back from Provence. They give an authentic country charm to the house, particularly as Leonie knows how to separate trash from treasure, selecting only truly beautiful items and bringing everything together with eff ortless style. And, as this is an ongoing pasttime for her, the overall look of the house evolves each time she sources another precious piece. “I’ve just changed it all around,” Leonie says, referring to the recent adjustments she made to accommodate some exquisite 1868 watercolours and a beautiful antique chest newly acquired from Wales.
Leonie and her family enjoy their time at the Bowral house very much, and it’s not hard to see why. Set in the beautiful Southern Highlands, this cosy retreat has been beautifully decorated with warmth and great style. Leonie’s elegant and diverse taste has given the interior an authentic French-provincial feel and a sense of times gone by. “We’ve taken a Philip Cox-designed house and made it more country than contemporary,” Leonie says. “It’s wonderful being able to look out onto the paddocks and the lovely old trees Milton Park is famous for. We’re lucky to have all this at our back door.”
Story by Susannah Hardy
Photography by Robert Reichenfeld
Styling by Anna-Marie Bruechert