The past eighteen months have been a whirlwind—to put it mildly. Somewhere between purchasing a block of land, designing our dream home, making approximately one million decisions (give or take), and finally building it all from the ground up in my beloved hometown of Mudgee, life has been wonderfully chaotic.
We’ve chosen every last detail ourselves, from the floor plan and window placements to the cabinetry, tapware, and furnishings. And can we just take a moment to acknowledge that there are, in fact, far too many shades of white? I never imagined I’d spend so much time debating whether a wall was “warm white,” “natural white,” or “white that somehow looks completely different once it’s painted.”
When Joe and I first sat down to imagine what our dream home looked like, we kept coming back to the timeless charm of old Australian settler homes. We loved their simplicity, character and connection to the landscape, but we also wanted to weave in a contemporary feel with subtle Mediterranean influences. The gardens still have a long journey ahead before the vision is complete, but from a building perspective, I think we’ve managed to capture exactly what we hoped for.
Individual porches are located around the home, ready for grapevines to climb their posts in years to come. Warm oak flooring runs throughout, while our oversized kitchen island—wrapped in handmade country-style mosaic tiles—has quickly become the heart of the home. Every corner feels cosy, welcoming and thoughtfully considered, and somehow it already feels like it’s always belonged here.
Every morning I’ve woken up here has reminded me just how lucky we are to call this place home. As I sit on the verandah writing this, the gentle mooing of Hereford cattle drifts across the paddocks, blending with the chorus of chirping cicadas. A soft afternoon breeze carries the unmistakable scent of eucalyptus, and just beyond our fence sits a sprawling vineyard. The very same vineyard that grew the grapes for the Riesling currently in my glass—which, if you ask me, feels like a pretty wonderful full-circle moment.
It’s hard not to slow down here. To breathe a little deeper. To appreciate the simple things.
There’s still plenty left on the to-do list before this house truly settles into its own personality. Fencing, landscaping, gardens and far more planting than I probably anticipated have been filling every spare weekend. (Who knew moving in was actually just the beginning?) But I have a vision for what this little corner of Mudgee will become, and with a little patience—and hopefully by spring—it’ll start to come to life.
I can’t wait to put my own homely touch on this blank canvas, watch the gardens grow alongside us, and, of course, share every step of the journey with you.
Wander Mak 
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