COUNTRY SMILES

In the hands of an interior designer owner, the practicalities of a rural property are no impediment to stylish surroundings.

- Eugenie Kelly

PADDOCK Bay horses Bells Bridge (left) and Pitty Pat graze on the lush grass in one of the property’s five paddocks.

EXTERIOR The homeowners, Jo Henderson and her husband Tony, did all the landscaping with the help of some friends.

DINING Pendant lights, HK Living. Dining table, Town & Country Style. Dining chairs, all Suzie Anderson Home. Wall lights, Beacon Lighting. VJ cladding from Mitre 10. Cushions from Weave and Alfresco Emporium.

A smidge over 100 kilometres south-west of Sydney, through the charming villages of the NSW Southern Highlands and down a treelined gravel strip, you’ll find Old Bong Bong Farm, a 4.5-hectare parcel that’s been home to the Henderson family for the past five years. “The first time I laid eyes on it was when we’d driven up the long driveway to the front gate,” says Jo. “We saw this magnificent avenue of pin oaks and pastures of long lush grass... Mentally, we had already signed the cheque.”

The six-bedroom brick home, although structurally sound, was poky, oppressive and in need of a serious overhaul. “We didn’t alter the footprint but we reconfigured the layout, taking it back to four bedrooms, and focused on opening the house up to increase the living space and let the light in,” explains Jo. As an experienced interior designer and real-estate agent, she certainly knows her homes...