Escape to the country
Flexible work has allowed Sydneysider Millie Cooper and her partner Izzy Walsh to embrace rural living in an elegant homestead a stone’s throw from the sea.
PHOTOGRAPHY VILLA STYLING / WORDS CASEY HUTTON / LOCATION GLENFERNIE FARM
During the 2020 lockdown, Millie Cooper and Izzy Walsh based themselves in a rental just south of Byron Bay. While working remotely (Millie as a freelance graphic and web designer and Izzy for a Sydney media agency) they began looking at property in their lunch breaks.
The 1920s Queenslander they fell in love with rests on a swathe of green countryside in the hamlet of Newrybar – a sleepy spot down the road from bustling Bangalow and close to Byron Bay. The location, they say, is unbeatable. “You have gorgeous views and no neighbours in sight, all on a private road, yet you’re only seven minutes from the beach,” Izzy explains.
“Newrybar is a quaint little village, but it also has one of the most popular restaurants in the area,” Millie adds. “Harvest is a beautiful bakery, deli, shopping and produce store, so we have everything that we need a three-minute drive away.”
Videography by Coast Park Creative
Milly and Izzy were immediately won over by the home’s original features and its sweeping views across the hinterland to Lennox Head. They envisaged some updates – principally to the landscaping around the house – but were otherwise intent on gracefully preserving the historic home. Upgrades included replacing all the decking and cladding on the exterior and adding a bay window to the main bedroom, as well as widening the stairs to the front door.
Inside, they opted for a muted natural palette, weathered timbers, comfortable furnishings and plenty of foliage. “There is nothing better than coming into someone’s house and feeling instantly ‘at home’. We wanted to create an inviting, warm, homely feel,” Izzy reflects. The styling is restrained and considered, yet relaxed – the couple describe it as “modern coastal country”. “We stick to neutral colours and tones so it’s not overwhelming, and we choose pieces that blend seamlessly rather than clash.”
Major earthworks were undertaken to level the areas adjacent to the house, making the site more usable. They built retaining walls, added new level garden beds (Millie’s mum Sally lovingly created the gardens and also helped with interior styling), paved new pathways with beautiful recycled bricks, and laid a luxuriant carpet of Sir Walter Buffalo turf.
The existing pool area was also cleverly updated. A deck was added for poolside lounging and building a retaining wall and grassy verge allowed for an enviable infinity view out across the hills. “It was a process that I had to manage with seven different trades involved,” says Millie. “Coordinating that during a wet season was a nightmare, but we got there and we just love it!”
Their favourite design decision is the characterful recycled bricks they sourced in Sydney and used extensively for the garden walkways. “They were worth the effort and every cent,” says Izzy. “They’re the thing that gets commented on the most.”
At Christmas last year, Millie’s dad gifted them the ‘Glenfernie’ nameplate from her childhood home in Sydney, and it’s mounted at the front door. The pair are quick to point out that they are novices when it comes to country living; they’re busy learning about everything from rearing cattle to maintaining septic tanks and avoiding snakes. Glenfernie Farm is tiny by country standards, says Millie, “but we can easily amuse ourselves and pursue our pastoral passions in bucolic bliss on five acres without getting into too much trouble”.
With a steady stream of visitors and everything their new hinterland neighbourhood offers in terms of lifestyle, Millie says they don’t crave city living at all. “We have to pinch ourselves that we get to live in such a beautiful part of the world.”
STAY HERE
Glenfernie Farm includes a self-contained guest suite (pictured opposite and below), with a new kitchen and a deck overlooking that magnificent pool. Book via Airbnb.
