Ideas for Your Australian Garden Cottage

The owners of this cottage, Jane and Michael, 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 decided to buy it on the spot.

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

Our house is an adventure. An adventure when searching for vintage furniture at flea markets or painting walls in yellow-blue colors.

Jane and Michael love vintage items and are always on the lookout for them. Once a year in Australia, there's a massive clean-up day where people put unwanted junk by the roadside. The couple adores this day and cruise 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 things we find just need a couple of nails and a bit of paint.

The working desk in Jane's office is an old roadside billboard that used to hang by the road.

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

The walls in the house are light-colored. A great backdrop for vibrant interior items from various styles: a Moroccan sofa, decorative bird cage, typewriter, and a series of floral paintings 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 seemed daunting at first.

We managed to organize 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 have to fight off noisy cockatoos.

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