Top 24+ character-filled country home facades from the pages of Country Style

At 100 metres above sea level, Borradale at Stanley overlooks the water and out to The Nut, a sheer-sided bluff and the remains of an ancient volcanic plug. The house and garden, which has been recently renovated by owners Melinda and Craig Dwyer, has a relaxed, country vibe that is brimming with personality.

“We were enthusiastic about starting Borradale, but it was a big project and we did most of it ourselves, so by the time it was finished we were proud but exhausted,” reflects Craig.

The only way to get to Margaret, a 120-year-old cottage at Milsons Passage on the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, is by boat. This romantic atmosphere of the wild and remote enchanted the Simoneau family, who bought Margaret in 2022, before embarking on a sensitive transformation which has given the place a new lease of life.

Perched on top of a small hill, Peppercorn House rises majestically over the quaint Hepburn Shire, on Dja Dja Wurrung land in central Victoria. With its elegant gables, meandering paths and striking tower, it’s no surprise that interior designer Fiona Davis and her husband, Chris, a chemical engineer, were instantly captivated by the home’s charm.

“This home had such a unique design. It looked straight out of a storybook the way it was thoughtfully placed on top of a hill. It was almost like Rapunzel would answer the door. It was so pretty,” Fiona said.

Having always been passionate about heritage houses, Rebecca was particularly interested in finding a home with old-world charm. “We looked at a few places and they weren’t quite right. Then Beulah came up for sale. I fell in love instantly,” she says. 

Judy and Robert started building their dream home at Healesville about 30 years ago – and are still tinkering with it today. “Apart from some nails, bolts and screws, the house is 100 per cent recycled,” Robert says. “And we’re still going… it’s a work in progress, always evolving,” adds Judy, who enjoys styling every room and nook.

This huge corrugated iron shed, a 108-year-old shearers’ quarters, had been left to the elements until Yvette Smart and her partner, Ollie Willsallen, decided to give it a new direction. “It’s really picturesque with big river red gums, casuarinas and huge flocks of cockatoos that live in the area,” says Yvette. “Overlooking the hills in the afternoon when the sun sets, it’s a pretty amazing place to be.”

“We fell in love with this farmhouse the minute we saw it,” says tree-changer Millie of her century-old Queenslander with “charming old bones”. Named ‘Glenfernie’, the home has been lovingly restored and now exists as a holiday stay for those visiting the hinterland region.

Built in the 1800s, this tiny cottage in Dry Diggings, VIC, enjoys a simple, square footprint, stone chimneys and ironbark floors. “There’s something magic about the sense of history at the property,” says Sarah Fraser, who purchased the home with her husband, Ben. “It’s like stepping into another world.”

This newly-built farmhouse looks undeniably great, but the design choices serve an even more important purpose: to stave off bushfire and heat. “We always had a pretty good idea that it was to be traditionally Australian with a verandah for the heat and a high rating for bushfires, with cement sheeting weatherboards and tiles on the outside decking,” says owner Clare.

“We had one look at it and bought it,” says Danielle White of her property Crofters Fold in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges. The timber farmhouse, built in the mid-20th century, was painted black and a custom finial was created from secondhand parts by a local blacksmith.

Renovated over a period of 18 months, the home of Dirty Janes Bowral founder, Jane Crowley is a lesson in creative reuse. While the exterior weatherboards of the 1920s cottage were replaced (along with the home’s old electrical wiring), Jane upcycled wherever she could, sourcing old palings, fences and posts from farm sales.

Cricket the Kelpie keeps watch at Summer House on Tasmania’s Satellite Island. After inheriting the property, The Alstergren family quickly set about updating the rustic beach shack on the island, painting the exterior a contemporary shade and creating a bunk bed room to accommodate extra guests.

The Cottage at Frieda’s Farm in Nashua, NSW is painted in the moody hue ‘Teahouse’ by Dulux. The owners enlisted the help of architect Chris Hills and interior designer Mary Durack, both based in Brisbane, to create an atmosphere of colour, warmth and serenity.

Rows of organic produce gardens signal your arrival at Black Barn Farm, a grand homestead in north-east Victoria. The family camped out on the property while they gave the home a coat of paint inside and out, stripped the floors, installed wardrobes and converted a bedroom into a home office.

Once rundown and unloved, this bright blue beach shack is today a sacred haven for artist Allira Henderson and her family. “It really was a shack when we moved in. Everything we’ve done has been done together, bit by bit,” she says.

Lulu the spoodle and Monty the Labrador stand guard before the bright yellow door to this renovated weatherboard cottage in NSW’s Southern Highlands.

As your wheels crunch through the oval-shaped poinciana seeds that line the driveway, you are rewarded with the cheery sight of a Little Red Barn — the much-loved abode of interior designer Rachel Luchetti and her builder husband Gerard Cook, who transformed a barn-style kit home into a family retreat.

Keegan the Irish wheaten terrier greets guests on the verandah of this 19th-century cottage in Trentham, Victoria. Named Acre of Roses, this front hides some 1500 perfumed roses blooming in the paddock behind the house.

Wisteria wraps itself around the front of this sprawling heritage house in the Blue Mountains. “If only it would flower for longer!” says Meg Thumpston, one of the seasoned collectors who own the historic property.

The exterior of this church-turned-family home was initially blue with burgundy and cream trim, so one of the family’s first renovation tasks was to paint it Dulux Silkwort with Dulux Domino trim. Then they filled the interiors with divine treasures.

Hailed as one of the oldest and grandest homesteads in the Barossa Valley, the front of Anlaby Station is framed by a huge peppercorn tree, which reveals the property’s Italianate concrete balustrade and fluted columns.

If you think this Victorian homestead looks fit for royalty, you’d be right — the Duke of Edinburgh once walked its hallways. This particular wing was specifically built for the Duke’s stay, with a bay window in the formal dining room and French doors opening from the drawing room.

The deck of this family farmhouse in the Macedon Ranges overlooks the surrounding gardens and paddocks. The arbour was handmade for the crimson glory vine.

The front of this holiday farmhouse on the NSW South Coast hints at its interior — styled with a relaxed palette and natural textures. If you’re on the hunt for a dreamy vacation spot, the Soul of Gerringong awaits you.