The Design Files: The Japanese-inspired renovation of a 1960s dairy

Who: Interior architect Andrea Moore

Where: Meeniyan, Victoria

What: Contemporary, Japanese-inspired renovation of a 1960s dairy

The deceptively understated project by interior architect Andrea Moore and her family is part of a renovation of a 1960s dairy property in Meeniyan in Victoria’s south-east, and the first of three self-contained accommodation sites.

When completed this year, each space will operate independently, but will create a cohesive identity, and a “beautiful and uniquely calming space for people to come and stay, feel and experience”.

Every aspect of the Ross Farm Cabin has been considered by Moore, who designed much of the furniture, including basins, bath, light fittings and door hardware.

These fixtures were then made by her father “down in his shed”.

The focus on the handmade is evident in every room of this Scandinavian and Japanese-inspired building, and Moore views this craftsmanship as adding a “layer of authenticity and honesty to the project”.

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Engaging with local makers and designers also allowed for unexpected outcomes. Moore’s initial ideas were transformed by makers who “work with their hands every day and often can add another level of detail and craftsmanship”.

Allowing space for the organic qualities of the materials to shine, she says, creates better outcomes, when you trust and let things evolve with the design process.

The freedom of being both client and designer resulted in innovative creative solutions: re-orientating the entry to the house to deliver more expansive views of the Tarwin Valley, and ambitious inclusions: converting an old lean-to into a Japanese-inspired bathroom.

This luxury space engages all of the senses, where cypress panels create an aromatic environment.

In combining both “raw-and-refined” elements, the cabin captures a distinctly contemporary rural Australian style. Moore explains that “pieces that have meaning and a story of how they have come to be, make an interior so much more purposeful and personal, and give a project soul”.

The Design Files guide to modern country style

“Country style” conjures an image of rustic, weathered buildings and old-fashioned interiors. But there’s a new style emerging in Australian rural architecture and interiors – a more minimal, understated and modern approach. Consider these ideas for a contemporary country aesthetic.

• Use a restrained palette of materials, and take cues from the natural landscape to connect with the environment.
• Consider materials that age well, such as concrete, leather, zinc and copper.
• Moore recommends: “what you leave out is just as important as what you bring in”.
• Reference Japanese and Scandinavian interiors for ideas on minimal, utilitarian style.