Ideas for Your Australian Garden Cottage

The owners of this cottage are Jane and Michael, who moved from Sydney to find a place with clean air for raising their three children — Scarlett, Jasper, and Rafferty. The family has always made bold decisions, and the choice of a house was no exception. Just imagine: the couple looked at only one house and immediately decided to buy it.

Soon after moving in, the couple refreshed the walls and the house with paint, changed the windows, decorated the interior with new rugs and vintage lamps. Later, they began searching for furniture that matched their vibrant style. Their unconventional approach to design is confirmed by the black-painted facade and the home’s name — 'Black Hut'.

Our home is an adventure. An adventure when you look for furniture at vintage markets or paint walls in yellow-blue tones.

Jane and Michael love vintage items and are always on the hunt for them. Once a year, Australia holds a massive cleanup where people put unwanted junk by the roadside. The couple loves this day and drives around Sydney looking for something unusual.

For example, the bird painting in Scarlett’s room was an old real estate sign that Jane found by the roadside.

Most of the items we find just need a couple of nails and some paint.

The working desk in Jane's office is an old advertising sign that once hung by the road.

In the work of a stylist, I love playing with colors, proportions, scale, and textures. Why not play at home too?

The walls in the house are light-colored. A good backdrop for vibrant interior items from different styles: a Moroccan lounge chair, a decorative bird cage, a typewriter, and a series of flower paintings that the couple bought at an auction in Sydney.

Along with the house came a garden, and although they made the purchase decision quickly, the half-hectare plot initially seemed overwhelming.

We managed to tidy up the garden. Now the backyard of the house leads to a grove with fruit trees, wild iris, and bright purple agapanthus blooms.

Michael also built a treehouse for the kids, which doubles as a pirate ship where they often fight off noisy cockatoos.

The couple planted a mini vegetable garden on the property, and they call their harvest treasures from the beds. The family especially loves their trees: orange, lemon, apple, and cherry. The garden also helps the family make new friends, as Jane sometimes shares part of her harvest with neighbors. There’s also an old van by the house that now serves as a guest cottage.