You can’t help but smile when you see this picturesque English-style farmhouse, filled with Hamptons charm and French provincial detailing. The large Queensland residence, built on two hectares of lush rural beauty, immediately exudes warmth, love and homemade goodness — perfect for Leanne, Rob and their four children.
When looking to build a new family home, Leanne wanted to incorporate the charming styles of English farmhouses, stone cottages and French provincial dwellings, but needed to give it a fresh Aussie touch to suit the northern state’s tropical climate. “Leanne came to us with many ideas and clippings of homes she had seen,” says architect Angela Jamison from Jamison Architects. “We discussed how some of the characteristics of the particular styles she liked were not suited to our climate, such as the stone walls with small windows and no sun protection, so we looked at ways to incorporate the essence of what she loved about those images into a new design.”
When you approach the family’s bushland dwelling, its matt-white panelled facade draws you in, casually contrasting its surrounds without taking away from its beauty. The featured stonework on both the fence and driveway offers a homely feel while providing textural detail to the overall facade.
With views of rolling hills from each room and a stunning, intimate view of a significant tree from the entry hall, nature can be appreciated from all aspects of this home. The textured stone floor gives a sense of continuity throughout, while the open living-dining wing is filled with light and features airy high-raked ceilings and rustic blackbutt timber floors. The stone and timber mantle wood fireplace is a dramatic feature in this space, the perfect spot for a cup of tea.
The country-style kitchen exudes warmth and features a stunning black Smeg freestanding cooker. The kitchen’s location in the heart of the home means Leanne is able to keep an eye on what the children are doing without leaving the breakfast bar — a must for all mums — and the adjoining butler’s pantry with servery can be sectioned off when entertaining guests.
Featured louvres throughout the farmhouse provide an ample breezeway and keep the family connected without having to leave each space. They also provide much-needed natural light to the hallway and can be closed at any time for privacy. The bedroom wing can also be closed off to help with heating in the cooler months.
“It is a very large home, so we incorporated all of the required spaces on a single level and ensured rooms had good natural cross-ventilation and natural light. We also had to make sure the main living spaces took advantage of the views and the perfect solar aspect took special design consideration,” says architect Mark Jamison. Each room feels cohesive with the next, with many of the same materials used throughout: the white-on-white painted walls, louvres and timber joinery extend throughout all rooms; light-grey stone benchtops are featured in the kitchen and bathrooms along with grey tiling to match; internal white barn doors and VJ panelling were also incorporated along with farmhouse sinks and tapware that completed the home’s country appeal.
The dwelling’s layout is akin to a boomerang, with the orientation of the living wing designed to maximise the best solar aspect as the solar panels also sit on this wing. The home is protected from the harsh sun where needed with verandahs, pergolas and overhangs.
A number of special-purpose rooms were a must for Leanne and this includes a guest wing, craft room, hobby and mud room. If the family needs any more space, a large multi-purpose loft space sits quietly upstairs. Outside, the stonework is featured again along the verandah and the home’s gorgeous gabled roof neatly hides the family’s caravan. Rainwater is also collected from the roof for the rainwater tanks onsite.
“Architecturally we feel the project was successful as the clients came to us with certain ideas and styles, but we engaged with them in the design process to understand what it was about those ideas and styles they loved and created a design and aesthetic that was more suited to our Queensland location,” says Mark. The clients were very much involved in the project, with Rob building the home himself and Leanne sourcing the interior selections including finishes, fittings and fixtures. The family lived on-site in their caravan with their four children while Rob built the home before and after work.
“There were some interesting school mornings when Leanne would be cooking the children breakfast and the power would go out, or someone would be in the shower in the caravan and the water would be turned off,” recalls Angela. “There were a lot of firepit barbecues, stargazing nights and tractor rides as the home was being built.”
