493 Maldon - Newstead Road, Welshmans Reef, Vic 3462

If you've been looking for something exceptionally stylish, highly functional and very versatile, fully renovated and easy to live in, with a nice private country feel and lush green gardens, also with much nearby to inspire an artist, like a meandering seasonal creek, visiting birds and wildlife, the rustic building of an historic township and a beautiful big lake – then you will find this very manageable acre and a half property, delightful, surprisingly convenient and very special indeed.

The three bedroom home is as pretty as a picture, renovated and decorated in true French Provincial style, after being inspired by a recent visit to France. So to is the bungalow, which is a very versatile space and would be ideal as guest quarters or a studio, with its own powder room.

While the home is very modern and trendy with a full renovation and refurbishment including fresh paint and floor coverings, window furnishings and light fittings, it is also very stylish and has had much attention paid to the gorgeous rustic details that give a home true character.

Light and bright with white washed ceilings, but interesting and captivating with such impressive features as beadboard cabinetry with iron handles, a prestigious Belling cooker with a double oven and classic barn doors on highly contrasting wrought iron hardware.

While a perfect balance has been struck between clean modern finishes and aesthetic features, functionality has also been given full consideration in this renovation. Ample cupboards and drawers, which also means plentiful benchtop workspace in the kitchen, includes a concealed bin, a spice-rack drawer and a large pantry with a pull string light.

In a u-shape from the kitchen is a living / dining room, dividable with a sliding barn door, and with a reverse cycle split system capable of heating and cooling the entire home, in conjunction with ceiling fans and country panel shutters with diamond cutouts.

Accessible from this room are the three bedrooms, one of which is separated from the other two by the powder room style toilet, which is ideal as the toilet and bathroom can be used at the same time, and the bathroom, which is simply spectacular with a composite vanity top and the use of pressed metal to add texture and beauty, a theme that can be seen throughout the home.

Beyond the living / dining room, the lounge with a freestanding solid fuel heater, has the most stunning picture window revealing a gorgeous undercover decked patio with a leafy green backdrop. You can’t help but feel as though you’ve stepped into a page of Better Homes and Gardens as you look through this window. The patio adjoins an alfresco entertaining area under timber framework, and a third entertaining area upon a brick paved circle, is deeper in the garden, where you can overlook the meandering seasonal creek beyond the back fence, a magical place for kids to explore or artists to muse.

The elaborate gardens are peaceful, beautiful and highly developed. A well positioned cedar tree provides cool shade to the home in summer, yet allows the winter sun in. Hundreds of bulbs fill many beds in the shade of lovely trees such as Protea and Silver Birch. A rosemary hedge leads to a veggie patch and small grove of fruit trees including plum, fig, apricot, quince, crab apples, native tomatoes and even a cherry tree that’s been espaliered on one of the tanks, of which there are four with a storage capacity in excess of 70,000L.

In addition to this a bore assists in providing water for the garden which is under irrigation across the whole property. Both pumps are relatively new. The garden attracts colourful birdlife and wonderful wildlife like echidnas. A second gate in the side paddock provides handy access to enable a straight through drive for large vehicles or a caravan.

Other noteworthy attributes include Starlink Internet, a double carport annexed to the bungalow, and a large shed currently set up as a gallery and workshop with three sets of double doors and a barn door, concrete floor, power and lights. A henhouse, cute as a button, painted to match the house, means you can eat farm fresh eggs, and the resident chickens can stay if you would like to keep them.

While you can’t see any neighbours from the home you are just a few minutes from the historic township of Maldon which you are going to adore if you love arts and music festivals. The wine bar has live bands or an open mike most of the time and Porcupine Village is well worth a visit. Being in the heart of the Maldon / Castlemaine region means the property is handy to Maryborough for shopping or Castlemaine if you’d like to take the train to Melbourne, and only 1 hour and 20 minutes from the Tullamarine airport. Lake Cairn Curran is just down the road too if you like water-sports.