Set on 25 acres of native landscape with an orchard and wooded groves, Winden Estate by Penman Brown Interior Design is a country home retreat from the busyness of everyday city life.
Located in Somersby, about 90 minutes from Sydney Central, the hustle and bustle fade into the background as the road winds over ridgetops and through national park bushland. Conceived as a weekender and eventual forever home for a Sydney couple, their children and an oversized mountain dog, the design balances hardworking practicality with refuge.
Inspired by European estates and the unadorned qualities of the Australian land, Penman Brown Interior Design created a blend of refined tranquillity and luxe grandeur for this sprawling six-bedroom home.
Continually, the landscape informed the design – earthbound elegance, enduring design, timeless, and refined rustic became drivers of the design. Penman Brown Interior Design and the clients sought to seamlessly blend the concepts of a French-inspired weekend retreat with the Australian scenery. As Principal Megan Brown explains, they simplified the interior to its “core elements,” layering tactile materials with “earthy hues to instil a rustic yet distinct character.”
The project involved reworking an existing 1980s structure with robust, minimal modernist details while retaining a sense of warmth and an organic and holistic experience for the big family. The home needed to serve the inhabitants (and the dog!) and their active engagement with the environment, while remaining a peaceful sanctuary.
With this approach in mind, there are unexpected moments and surprises throughout the material methodology. Earthy tones and layered textures define the palette, with French limestone tiles, reclaimed bricks and cobbles, and lime plaster walls contrasting classic wainscoting. These tactile choices recall the simplicity of farmhouse estates while supporting a modern rural lifestyle.
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The kitchen sits at the heart of the home, a place for family to come together, serving for both informal moments of baking cookies or more formal, intimate dinners. The deep blue cabinetry and oversized windows open directly to the landscape, making an immediate connection to the nature beyond. Bathrooms adopt a more decadent language, where monolithic stone slabs meet sleek fixtures and sculptural lighting.
Furniture and lighting were curated with equal care, combining bespoke upholstery and vintage rugs with pieces by Apparatus Studio, Rose Uniacke, Louis Poulsen, Pinch, Tobias Scarpa, Henry Wilson, Articolo and Anna Charlesworth. Every element is chosen to convey emotion and foster connection to the surrounding land.
“The result is transportive; every element conveys emotion, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the beauty of the landscape,” muses Brown. “The farmhouse’s transformation honours the location, marrying rustic simplicity with polished refinement. It offers a timeless sanctuary where nature and craftsmanship converge, fostering a sense of connection and serenity.”
With luxury and simplicity at its core, Winden Estate by Penman Brown Interior Design is a country home to return to – a place to switch off, unwind, and retreat to the backdrop of the landscape and beautiful design.
