Greener Pastures At Orchard House
Nestled within the heart of the Southern Highlands, the tumbling foliage surrounding the home inspired rich tonal layers within our aptly named Orchard House where colour uplifts and pattern ignites the imagination. Purchased by a Sydney couple who desired a slower pace steeped in nature after years of balancing inner-city living with the constant demands of work travel, they relinquished their harbourside apartment – Villa Amor – that we designed for them for greener pastures. Together we subverted an archetypal country home built in the early 2000’s into a sanctuary balancing cosmopolitan sophistication with all the comforts of a rural escape. The couple’s golden rule was that everything we selected had to be in stock and ready to ship resulting in a speedy five month turn-around from our initial concept meeting to completion.
‘It’s important to Arent&Pyke to delve into intricate domestic rituals so homes suit your lifestyle and habits perfectly, so it was a no brainer to work with them again. Decisions are made very carefully and considerately. I guess that’s why they’re at the top of their game.’ Homeowner, Orchard House
Stepping inside, luxury is conveyed via a generosity of space and richness of colour and materials. Given its tall ceiling height, the scale of the large open living space inspired key interventions given the home lacked interesting details and focal points. We trimmed the ceiling with gently curved cornices, streamlining the boxy fireplace and adding a textural render to its newly rounded surround that blends into the walls and ceiling now coated in a gentle wheat shade to throw the eye up and out.
Curtains sit high above window frames, puddling gently upon the floor to accentuate scale. Opposite, a tall arched entrance now links the entry vestibule’s doorway lined with velvet drapes, their gilded patina complementing the shimmering bronze elements on a CC-Tapis rug that grounds a timeless Italian classic: a Camaleonda sofa. Despite it modular scale offering ample space to both stretch out and host large gatherings, its low stature further enhances the room’s impressive dimensions while its gentle sage tone entices garden greens to seep within. Beside it, a slick tomato red Bramante lacquered sideboard enlivens its muted hues.
‘Beyond its beauty, our home’s incredibly comfortable and spacious. We’ve got some amazing pieces of Italian furniture, yet it still feels super casual and inviting – not remotely precious. Every inclusion is intentional. It’s needed and used.’ Homeowner, Orchard House
Equally, we created cosy nooks for the couple within the room: a snug corner banquette that beckons with its topaz glow plus a kitchen island bound within faceted angles to complement the sideboard’s profile. It extends from the kitchen’s swathes of feathery stone that gently float across surfaces.
‘No-one beats an Arent&Pyke kitchen. They’re the masters of the perfect trifecta: colour, materiality and function. We were so reliant upon the convenience of restaurants on our doorstep in Sydney. Here, the new kitchen’s inspired me to learn to cook which I’m loving.’ Homeowner, Orchard House
Considered details parlay into the bathrooms via their spacious, spa-like appeal, plus the primary suite where a dreamy landscape unfurls across a custom bedhead. The guest suite’s enveloping Cerulean blues gently whisper serenity for visiting city friends.
Credits
- Interior Furnishing and Decoration - Arent&Pyke
- Photography - Prue Ruscoe
- Styling - Olga Lewis