What brings you to the Hills ?

An urge to put down roots.

We wanted our kids to grow up connected to nature and community and felt the hills were the most beautiful part of Melbourne.

After years of scouring the real estate this place popped up and when we came to see the house a blue fairy wren kept flying up and tapping at the sunroom windows.

That was honestly enough for me !

Can you describe your home style or any unique features it has that makes it special to you ?

I love that the house has so much history.

It’s around 100 years old and the hardwood frame is still standing strong, it's bent a few drill bits.

The stonework is from a local quarry and matches the old change rooms down at the lake.

The old telephone is pretty special too.

The high ceilings in the lounge room are stunning and the plaster in there is full of horse hair.

I love that so many elements of the house were made with local materials. The dark timber is what makes it such a special hills home.

“The lead-light windows have their original glass and the way the sun comes through and reflects on the wall is so ethereal”

Do you know much about the history of your home, perhaps its story of who else once lived there ?

The lady before us was here for 30 years, I think we are the fourth owners.

Originally the house was built as a weekender/ hunting lodge for a wealthy doctor from Canterbury, Dr Bottomly.

He loved it up here much that he commissioned his friend Alfred Nichols' architect, Harry Norris (Burnham Beeches) to build him the heritage listed Silver Birches just down the road.

The Duke of Edinburgh, visited the Dr in Burnham Beeches in 1954 as part of the royal tour.

I've got nothing to confirm this but I have heard that his mistress then moved in here!

We have many established exotics and some pretty healthy bush at the back.

The echidnas love poking around and the wombats also have been here much longer than the house.

We have some very old trees here !

Are there any particular themes, colour or elements throughout your home that reflect your personality or interests ?

Timber and greenery are the elements that reflect us most.

We have tried to bring the trees in a little and keep as many natural materials as possible to honour the way the home was built and the environment it is in.

Are there any particular things that have inspired your interior design choices ?

A love of timber and all things rainbow.

The sofa in the sunroom was also an intentional purchase. It’s barely 3m wide so we needed something narrow. My favourite Sundays involve lying on it watching the sun set in the tree tops.

The kids have so much space to play and I just love it when we have kids of all ages here entertaining themselves independently.

I definitely wanted it to be a relaxed and kid friendly home.

What do you love about your home ?

I’m not sure whether it's the age or just its position on the hill but there’s something so strong and comforting about it.

I think the stone work offers a sense of stability- even though one side is falling down!

What is your favourite Season ?

Autumn !

My favourite part is seeing the heavy clay soil soften again with the return of the rain.

The misty mornings feel like waking up to a dream.

What do you love about living in the Hills ?

I love driving on empty winding roads with tree ferns hugging the corners.

I love the sense of community - between us we’ve lived in lots of different places around the world and the community here is very special.

We’ve made so many fantastic friends since moved here and there is a real comfort in knowing that everyone is keen to come together to help each other out when needed.

When we had no power for a few weeks last year we borrowed our neighbours portable horse shower.

The kids loved showering like a horse !

I love that they are growing up seeing people from all walks of life come together in times of need.

How does living in the Hills influence your daily life or routine ?

The days are bookended by the kookaburra chorus !

There’s an awareness of the seasons that comes with being surrounded by nature that we never felt in the city.

As I write this Doug is trying to coax a young kookaburra back outside but it seems to be happier perched on an armchair watching him.

How do you like to spend your weekends ?

There’s always lots of garden work to keep us out of trouble !

Each season we learn more about the garden and find more jobs to do.

We love having friends over or going for a good long walk in the forest.

Do you have a favourite place to visit in the Hills (walk / cafe / shop) ?

The General Food Store is world class and we are lucky to have it within walking distance.

I think about their Save the Wales rarebit with leek at least once a week.

We have a fantastic bookshop in Emerald, Louie & Grace.

Emerald Bazzar is great for gifts and Epoche in Kallista is possibly my favourite shop in the world.

The drive from Emerald to Kallista is jaw-droppingly beautiful.

We’re also frequent visitors to the libraries and the lake.

The paddle boats on the lake are great fun !

Now the kids are getting older we’re doing more long walks with them, there may be a bribe of chips and a lemonade at the Paradise Valley in Clematis.

The Cameo in Belgrave is a fantastic cinema.

The hills really are alive !

Lauren, Doug, Imogen & Alby, EMERALD