The Design Files: A contemporary country sanctuary with a heart of gold

Who: Luke Mortimer and Steve Burley

What: A house with a heart of gold

Where: Chewton, Victoria

The phrase “sitting on a gold mine” is bandied about in real estate frequently, but it isn’t that often that homes are sitting on old goldfields!

The self-designed home of creative director Luke Mortimer and artist Steve Burley in Chewton, just outside Castlemaine, Victoria, draws upon this rich history to create a contemporary country sanctuary.

Luke and Steve purchased the land in 2010. Luke explains: “Chewton wasn’t even on the radar and it was last on the list to visit, I fell in love with the block of land and called Steve to tell him I had just bought it and he should start designing a house for me ASAP.”

A year later, and the couple had moved in. Under a tight budget, Steve designed a home that could be adorned with vintage fixtures (like the second-hand bathtub and sinks). “We embraced the humble, and made things really basic, but with good material choice that fitted the budget.” Luke explains: “We wanted the house to feel familiar, nostalgic and comfortable.”

The resulting design is a home of modern architectural clean lines, balanced with eclectic vintage interiors. They deliberately eschewed the “oppressiveness” of symmetry, by introducing a variety of op shop and vintage furniture that cycles through the home.

The kitchen is a particularly favourite spot, fitted out with old strawberry packing furniture, cleverly transformed by Luke’s dad into a kitchen bench. The interiors are also adorned with Steve’s artwork, much of which is inspired by the local landscape and places he and Luke have travelled together.

In addition to what Luke cheerfully describes as the “Nordic barn with goldfields twist” – they have spent considerable time and energy on transforming the garden.

He says there is no topsoil in the old gold mining area, and gardening has required a steep learning curve. After much work adding raised veggie beds, a glasshouse, and developing a water-management strategy, the garden in now thriving. “The garden is a mash of natives, succulents, fruit trees and whatever else will grow.”

They have also employed an unconventional strategy to the plantings on their property, as Luke acknowledges” “It’s a little bit OCD, but we have a strictly white flowers rule in the garden!.”

Windows in the home invite the garden in. “It really makes you feel a part of the outdoors, but still cocooned, especially in winter when all you want to do is curl up by the fire and read a book or magazine,” he says. Luke and Steve opted to use dark colours in the main living spaces to create atmosphere, and further highlight the surrounding botanical splendour – but there’s no doubt this home is golden all year round.

Contemporary country style

The idea of a country home brings with it visions of rustic, weathered materials, antique furniture and old fashioned interiors.  But “country” and “contemporary” can co-exist. Consider these ideas to modernise the quintessential Australian country home.

• Salvaged and industrial materials strike the perfect balance between time honoured and contemporary style. Seek out salvaged windows, doors and building materials from wreckers yards. The more mismatched, the better.
• One of the cheapest and easiest tiling solutions is the classic “subway tile” – a timeless option for kitchens and bathrooms, that feels either old fashioned or contemporary, depending on the context.
• Traditional homes tend to stick to “safe” colour palettes (white walls). Introduce a moodier palette of dark greys and black for an instant contemporary update in an older-style house.
• An eclectic mix of furniture, art and lighting will update even the most old-fashioned of homes. Don’t be afraid to bring a diverse mix of pieces together in an older style house – injecting your unique personality into the home will instantly make it feel fresh and modern.