Pastoral scene

Rich colour and a judicious mix of furniture create a take on a traditional country-house aesthetic in this brilliant contemporary regional NSW home.

- JUDY PASCOE

Bold and surprising, yet calm and serene" is a wonderfully evocative description for this house set on a generous parcel of land in regional NSW. It belies its new-build status with its traditional appearance of homestead-style lines and wide verandahs gently resting on a slight rise overlooking a lake. Inside, the generous proportions and considered interior design ensure a comfortable and sophisticated experience for the owners and their frequent guests.

For their weekender and holiday home for extended family, the owners were keen to create a different mood from their contemporary Sydney residence. Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke, principals of interior design studio Arent&Pyke, along with landscaper Paul Bangay, were engaged early in the building process, ensuring a synchronicity between the interior and exterior.

"It is a very different sensibility creating a country home," says Sarah-Jane. "The greatest luxury now is time and there is the sense in the country of being unhurried. You want the house to function brilliantly - to work hard and feel effortless so living there feels really easy."

There is also the luxury of space and never-ending views of the surrounding landscape and this property has that in spades. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom home has a linear layout surrounded by verandahs and is on one level except where it pops up at one end to accommodate two extra bedrooms. With expansive living spaces and a cross-section housing the generously sized master bedroom it has "a sprawling character", says Sarah-Jane.