Tuerong Farmhouse by Samantha Eisen Interiors

The rural landscape of Tuerong, Victoria, is characterised by rugged farms, rolling vineyards and beaches that extend as far as the horizon.

Tuerong Farmhouse by Samantha Eisen Interiors camouflages into this bucolic locale with a design that is both local and global, demonstrating a rare balance of rustic charm and contemporary elegance. Inspired by French mid-century chateaus, Spanish haciendas and Californian ranch-style properties, Tuerong Farmhouse is a harmony of eclectic styles that stay true to the Australian context. “Defined by clean lines and modern forms, the home is informed by historic dwellings around the world,” says Samantha Eisen, founder and principal of her eponymous Melbourne-based design practice, of the abode that now serves as her family home.

As the designer reveals, an important point of reference was the palette of the peripheral bushland, which she echoed in the way of a natural stone fireplace and French reclaimed wood beams in the living room, as well as sea-inspired tones and textures in the private spaces.

Inspired by French mid-century chateaus, Spanish haciendas and Californian ranch-style properties, Tuerong Farmhouse is a harmony of eclectic styles that stay true to the Australian context.

The 4.5-hectare property plays host to a landscaped garden, a pool, courtyard areas for lounging and dining, plus a dam that services the estate’s water needs. “These spaces together channel a modern hacienda,” says Eisen. “There are pavilions and pergolas for shade and exposed areas for poolside lounging, all framed by the ground level of the house.” The remaining land is mainly used as paddocks for horses.

In a bid to establish visual distinctions, Eisen treated no two rooms alike. She steeped the primary suite in calming hues, while bringing whimsy to the children’s bedrooms by using botanical wallpapers, bright colours and characterful layering. As the designer explains, the theatre was conceived as the tour de force. “It’s one of my favourite rooms. It stands apart in saturated colour, where the rest of the house has a backdrop of white,” she says of the space, which she theatrically darkened in a shade of ox blood.

The interior and exterior take turns seizing the spotlight, courtesy of large, arched picture windows that frame a different vista at every turn.

When it came to touching the home’s original features, Eisen was careful to tread lightly. “We retained the limestone floors, held onto the hardware and existing joinery and reused the stair rail as an external balustrade,” she says. “Where we could not rework elements into the new design, we set out to repurpose them into the adjacent granny flat and sheds. This became an exciting secondary project that is still evolving.”

The interior and exterior take turns seizing the spotlight, courtesy of large, arched picture windows that frame a different vista at every turn. “The view to the paddocks and small dam inform the sculptural quality of the walls and staircase and set the tone for other spaces and experiences,” says Eisen, who took great strides to balance old and new. As part of this effort, she sought to reintroduce layers of history by adding reclaimed French beams found in a wrecker’s yard and finishing the walls with polished plaster, like a country house of centuries past. For the designer, who spent many childhood summers at her grandparents’ cottage in the countryside, the home is a meeting of moments, past and present.

Interior design by Samantha Eisen Interiors. Landscape design by Le Page Design. Natural stone flooring and walling by Eco Outdoor.