A QUINTESSENTIAL FAMILY HOME ON 581SQM APPROX. BLOCK IN TIGHTLY-HELD ENCLAVE

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I recently visited Mickey Robertson at her property in Camden, ‘Glenmore House’, and was not surprised by the fact she found it difficult to decide on her Favourite Room – there are so many beautiful and picturesque spaces to this property and I was completely captivated by the gardens where she regularly hosts events and gardening classes. Enjoy!

What is your favourite room in your house?

Photo: www.theaustralian.com.au

That is SUCH an impossible question!  I love all the rooms in our house!

And the ones that aren’t in the house too… like the potting shed, and the Dairy or even the Hayshed. My favourite room is generally the one I’m in for the task I’m working at; but each at a different time of day, when the play of light is at its best. So let’s say it’s the Gallery – the long, quite narrow room that connects the original sandstone house with the wings we added.

Why is it your favourite room?

Despite being a thoroughfare, it is a point of axis, from where I can see the garden on both sides of the house. It’s bathed in both early morning as well as late afternoon’s golden light and I can also see into the rooms of the old house and through to the kitchen. It’s a quiet place to sit and tap at the computer (I wish I could say to read a book!), or to enjoy a conversation with a friend or two when the kitchen doesn’t seem appropriate (and we’re not there for the long-haul which would mean the Sitting Room!). It’s a rather grown-up and elegant space; reminiscent of a room you might find in Spain or the south of France, (though on a very small scale) with water splashing in the pond just outside the front door, and in midsummer anyway, the room that captures the wonderful perfume of some of my favourite scented plants: Burmese honeysuckle, frangipani, ginger and the beautiful Hawaiian vine, Solandra maxima.

How does your favourite room represent who you are?

Photo: thedesignfiles.net

It does this on many levels… not just me, but also Larry. In some ways, the pair of gilt wall sconces that belonged to his French grandmother was the instigator of the design, which is elegant, yet simple. A Georgian style sofa as you may find in a country house in Scotland (from where Larry hails), covered in a modern take of yellow damask; simple cotton curtains in a Spanish design, fresh & bright (we spent a good deal of time in Mallorca & Spain), these same colours reflected in the garden flowers just outside the window. A red-striped cotton panel from Instanbul, a still-life in the style of the Dutch Masters, a collection of family photographs. It’s a room that represents places we’ve spent time in our lives, so reflects the past, yet is very much in the present. It’s from where, on occasion, the sound of the piano wafts across the garden. It makes me think of far-flung places; people we know so well and is alive with pools of colour and light.

What do you like most about your garden?

The garden is full of life, colour, texture, perfume, minute detail as well as causing wonderful views from each window and the verandahs of the house. Each segment of the garden reflects the building to which it relates, so spills from bold, striking structure to a pretty, romantic, rustic idyll. It provides sustenance for the eye as well as the stomach, with the kitchen garden being both a joy to behold and the source of our fresh produce.

If you could invite anyone into your garden, who would it be?

Photo: ink361.com

I’d quite like to welcome Monty Don into my garden, so that we could talk about lots of other gardens!

What would you change about your favourite room?

Not much really! Though I would like to add external shutters to the French doors (to match all the ones on our windows). This would allow me to manipulate the light even more, as well as the heat on those intense summer days.

What advice would you give on how to create the perfect space?

Photo: thedesignfiles.net

Look to the outside and take into account your landscape (this is appropriate whether you’re in the city or the country). Take the style of architecture of your house/apartment into account. Dwell on where you are, in the great scheme of things. And get the bones right: set up your space before contemplating the furniture. And try to interpret who YOU are, rather than falling for the latest fad. Good interiors stand up to the test of time. And a real home is never complete…

For more information visit: www.glenmorehouse.com.au