If you’ve been looking to escape to the country, it’s hard to think of a more serene place than interior stylist Steve Cordony’s Instagram-famous Rosedale Farm.
Dating back to 1877, the recently restored estate looks like something from the pages of a country magazine or a grand homestead hidden somewhere in Europe. But it’s actually just a 3.5 hour drive from Sydney, located near Orange, New South Wales.
‘We were searching for a country house for three and a half years and a friend of ours sent us a picture from the local newspaper with Rosedale for sale,’ Steve says.
‘We thought we would go and have a look, and instantly we just fell in love with the property. The first time we visited, there was just something special about the landscape and where the house was situated at the bottom of a valley – it looked like something from a story book.’
Since then, Steve and his partner Mike have spent the last six years lovingly updating the historic property. In addition to re-plumbing, re-wiring, fixing some rising damp and opening up the interiors, they transformed the six-bedroom main residence, and created two farm stays positioned amongst the estate’s manicured gardens!
‘The floor plan is essentially the same, as we wanted to keep the heritage and the Georgian style architecture as close to the original as possible,’ Steve says. ‘We reinstated all of the cornices in every room.’
A picture-perfect, all-white facade and romantic verandah welcomes guests to the property. But much like Steve’s own signature style – which is a ‘contrast between traditional and contemporary’ – the interiors blend contemporary gold accents with rustic timber details, ornate chandeliers and exposed bricks. Antique furniture also rounds out its historic charm.
‘I took inspiration from a lot of European detailing, and specifically with the guest houses, referenced many different Italian farm houses,’ Steve adds.
And after loving seeing friends and family enjoy the magic of Rosedale Farm Steve and Mike have decided to open the doors of the guest houses to the public. They’ve now listed them on Airbnb to share their ‘special part of the world with people from all over’!
One group has already snapped up Airbnb’s exclusive four-night stay to enjoy the entire property this Easter, but lucky for us, bookings at the guest houses are ongoing.
Book your stay at Rosedale Farm’s guest houses on Airbnb here.
