Living for the Weekend
Photography by Ryan Hernandez
Styling by Justine Wilson
When Jan and Lisa bought their beautiful four-bedroom house in Exeter, they were already familiar with the countryside. "We actually have family in Moss Vale," says Jan, "so we'd been coming here for years and always really liked the area. Then a couple of years ago, we sold our house in Sydney and decided to buy down here at the same time." As luck would have it, a family member spotted the place and knew they would absolutely adore it - and they did. "It was the first one we looked at," she adds, "and we fell in love with it straightaway." As they both work in the city, however, they kept an apartment in town where they live during the week. But the weekends are spent here, in the peace and tranquillity of their stunning country abode.
Making an Entrance
Inside the French-country front doors, Jan and Lisa created an impressive entrance hall with sweeping curtains, an antique walnut table and a Louis-style chair. It also boasts three intricate and unusual chandeliers, a suggestion from Linda, who had them spray-painted to match the curtains. "We weren't sure how it was going to look," Jan remembers, "as three might have been a bit much. But we were really happy with the way it turned out."
A Baker's Delight
Jan is the cook of the household and the large country-style kitchen with its white-tiled walls and benches, stunning white cabinets and smart stainless-steel appliances was exactly what she wanted. "It's my spot," she says fondly and as she particularly likes to bake, she has a number of beautiful cake stands on which to serve her creations. "It's a way for me to relax," she laughs. "Everyone in the office looks forward to Mondays because I always bring in my baking from the weekend!" When it came to decorating it, however, all Jan had was a picture of some blinds she cut out of a magazine years before. "I always said to Lisa that the day I got my country kitchen, I wanted those blinds!" she admits. Ever intrepid, Linda searched high and low and finally managed to source the fabric in the United Kingdom, then had it shipped over. "They were the smallest blinds in the whole house but probably more expensive than the rest put together," Jan laughs. "It's always the way isn't?"
The Great Entertainer
Jan and Lisa both love to entertain so they wanted a place that would work well so, along with a formal lounge, there's a casual open-plan living/dining area - and they actually had the dining table made with their guests in mind. "We wanted one that was the right size," Jan explains, "and this one extends by another metre because I like to have family Christmases and that means seating 12 comfortably." The two guestrooms also come in very handy as they often have people to stay. "That's one of the advantages of having a place down here," says Jan - and an invitation to stay would certainly be a treat. All the bedrooms are beautifully decorated with fabrics from Biggie Best giving a definite feeling of an exclusive boutique hotel. Plus there are three glamorous white-tiled bathrooms for that added touch of luxury and convenience.
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