FREE REIGN

Design duo Duet stretched the limits of their imagination with this glorious country-meets coast homestead brimming with contemporary flourishes and vintage treasures.

- CARLI PHILIPS

George Geagea remembers the exact moment this deeply personal project he started with his business partner Charles Daoud became one he needed to share. “I was standing in the driveway overlooking the large orchard with its mandarin, orange, lemon, and fig trees and saw the property in a new light. It had been so neglected and I could finally see it sparkling. Even though it was meant to be a private project, we knew this was something we had the privilege of sharing,” says George. So while the Greyleigh homestead was intended to be a family weekender, it’s now available for stays and events.

The sprawling farmhouse was terribly run-down when George first saw it in 2014 but the location was so highly coveted that the purchase was a no-brainer. Established in the 1800s the renowned dairy farm was famous for its award-winning cattle. The tightly held pocket of acreage is now virtually unheard of in Kiama and it is uniquely positioned between the ocean and rolling green hills.

Dominique Brammah and Shannon Shlom of Duet were engaged to transform the homestead into an elevated farm stay with a strong connection to nature. While no architectural intervention was required, the interiors were completely gutted and restored beyond recognition. “We wanted to create something really distinctive and strong so it was about introducing layers of things that could fly in a holiday home, but not necessarily in a permanent residence,” says Dominique. “Looking back, our initial concept presentation probably wasn’t quite as bold as the final result. We may not have got it off the ground if it had been.”