When Ben Chandler moved into this homestead in western Queensland, the house had sat abandoned for 15 years in a tangle of cobwebs. But banks of louvres and the high, raked ceiling piqued his interest. With wife Jayde, the two graziers studied the passage of light through their house, and chipped away at its renovation over several years.
40 kilometres south of Barcaldine, the 7000-hectare property is ample roaming space for their boys — Jack, five, Charlie, four and Wally, two.
Their double-brick, split-level house is something of an anomaly in the region. It lies on the western side of the Chandler family aggregation; a sprawling 40,000 hectares that includes neighbouring properties belonging to Ben’s parents and brother.
“Little boys can be tough,” Jayde smiles. But Alfie, the resident Jack Russell, is equally boisterous.
While the homestead was initially cramped with brown laminate cabinetry, Ben and Jayde bided their time and began with small improvements rather than rushing into renovations.
“Notice how you live, where you gravitate to and how the light affects it during the day,” Jayde advises.
Jayde redesigned the kitchen, where two walls were removed and reclaimed timber flooring was installed throughout. It features handless cabinetry with Caesarstone benchtops.
“I love the simplicity of it. There are no overhead cupboards, just drawers, which are oversized to reflect the horizontal lines in the house,” says Jayde. All materials were chosen for their durability, durability and longevity.
The home’s interior received an immediate facelift with a white satin finish. Pretty greenery and flowers bloom on the whitewashed brick fireplace. “The house feels crisp, fresh and airy. That was my favourite part of the whole process,” muses Jayde.
The home’s furniture remains conscious of its sun-beaten drover history. Workbenches from the shearing sheds were restored by Ben.
Family heirlooms include a Grand Champion Bull trophy won by Jayde’s parents at the 1981 Royal Queensland Show (aka the Ekka), and a photograph of the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame, which included both Jayde and Ben’s grandfathers.
Tab handles in the guest bedroom were fashioned from a saddler’s leather offcuts.
All dirt-caked post-work hands are ushered to the mudroom, where a concrete sink awaits.
The rooms all flow together in open channels of light. On the kitchen is a painting of the homestead itself, gifted by Liz Watson of Everingham + Watson as a wedding present.
“Open-plan, more relaxed living is appropriate for our lifestyle and lends itself to a house of this scale,” says Ben. “I love coming home. It’s so warm and welcoming.”
Wally and Jack tend to the vegetable patch. “Being a country girl, I love that our children have the same kind of freedom and wide open spaces,” says Jayde. The light-flooded kitchen moonlights as her study room, where every window looks out her boys playing outside.
“This is our forever home,” says Jayde.
