The Wensley is a luxe take on the classic Aussie shed in Wensleydale

“You are literally in the middle of nowhere. If you wake up at first light, generally there are kangaroos feeding outside your door,” Fran Derham says. “You’ll see kookaburras, foxes, echidnas, sulphur-crested cockatoos, rabbits … It really is a place to escape the everyday trappings of city living.”

Derham is describing the wildlife you’d likely encounter at The Wensley, a rustic abode set on 80 acres of rolling hills in Wensleydale in Victoria’s Surf Coast Shire. The property – co-owned by Derham and her husband Mike Robertson – is inspired by the quintessential Aussie shed, only more sophisticated and chic.

It blends the look of leading Australian architect Glenn Murcutt’s Marie Short farmhouse in Kempsey, NSW with the aesthetics of American ski chalets. “We’re really big skiers. We met over in Whistler [in Canada] and Mike spent a year in Bozeman, Montana so we’re always inspired by the ski chalet,” Derham explains.

After going for a drive, stumbling upon the land and buying it on the same day back in 2012, Robertson pictured building his family home there. The next year, the couple spent time renovating a caravan they used as a holiday house on the land. “We moved the caravan around the property a bit just to try and get a feel for where we actually wanted to build the house.” It was also the year Robertson proposed to Derham on a cow track in the pouring rain. But it wasn’t until 2015 that construction finally began, and the home was instead launched as a luxury accommodation at the beginning of 2019.

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Timber is undoubtedly the star of the show here. The shed – built in collaboration with Nick Byrne of Byrne Architects and interior designer Lisa Buxton – is made with ironbark and reclaimed Oregon salvaged from demolished projects in Melbourne and coated with silver top ash. It’s a living and breathing entity of its own, Derham says. “The timber moves. The timber changes colour. It sort of feels like it’s becoming more and more Australian as time goes on.”

Inside, the warmth of the timber continues throughout high ceilings that dip as you enter the kitchen. Natural finishes – raw brass, leather, linen, terracotta – complement the wood’s dark tones to add a touch of softness. There’s room for 10 guests with two bedrooms downstairs and a loft-style room upstairs. A sleek, angular concrete chimney around a free-standing Cheminees Philippe fireplace separate the living room from the dining and kitchen area.

Light floods through almost all sides of the property. “You can be essentially anywhere and open the door and step out,” Derham says. You’re surrounded by nature without feeling like you’re inside a futuristic glass pod.

“You actually don’t realise until you’re there how the environment that you live in deeply affects your state of being. When you remove plasterboard, which is full of chemicals, and you take away paint, the feeling is so different.”

Outside, there are two decks: one at the front for sunrise views with a fireplace overlooking the dam, and the other for sunset lounging. The latter is complete with a wrought iron bath and couches where you can zone out and soak in the breathtaking views all around.