How They Turned a Dairy Farm Into a Family Home in Just 2 Months

The owners of this home, Caroline Newcomb and Mark Roderick, live here with their four sons Charlie, Oscar, Jack, and Harry. The decision to buy came after the couple took a vacation in this area. Initially, they planned to turn the cottage into a vacation home, but after spending so much time there, they decided to move in permanently.

At one point I asked myself: "We spend so much time here, why not just live here?"

Caroline and Mark had a limited budget, so they didn't change the layout and it's no surprise — the house has five rooms. Even with such a big family, everyone found their place.

However, the dairy past was not forgotten, and the couple had to do a renovation that took only eight weeks. To save money, they tried to fix appliances themselves, restore doors and verandas, and look for furniture at flea markets.

When we first saw the house, we wanted to throw everything out, but after closer inspection, we realized there were many good things inside.

Now, the house has new wooden floors and a new kitchen. The rest of the furniture was either painted, repaired, or found at vintage flea markets. Walls are painted white, a perfect neutral that ties all interior elements together.

The kitchen is small but functional. Kitchen cabinets are white to match the wall color, and the wooden countertop adds warmth. There is also a dining table that the couple kept from the previous owners and restored.

The living room and kitchen are separated by an arch, which is convenient when you want to zone space and create a family gathering area. The sofa also came from the previous owners, and the coffee table was found at a vintage sale in Sydney.

All the bedrooms were decorated with the same principle — no excess: painted and repaired bedside cabinets, uniquely shaped sideboards, and retro wardrobes found at flea markets. Also, all rooms have light fixtures that the couple decided to hang from hooks and adjust in length. This way, a chandelier becomes a wall sconce and vice versa.

Caroline and Mark preserved the veranda, which offers a view of former pastures and an old milking shed left as a reminder of the dairy farm.