It’s been almost a year since fan-favourites of The Block, Josh and Jenna sold their inner-Melbourne home to restore and renovate a Rutherglen homestead originally built in the 1800s.
While they both grew up in regional Victoria, inspiring the move to be closer to family, it marked the beginning of a new country life for their young girls.
CW caught up with the Serial Renovators, to talk renovations and living off the land.
“We have so far completed three of the four rooms in the old home and are still working hard on the bullnose veranda decking,” says Josh.
“Having lived in inner-city terrace houses for so long … we are deeply appreciating the picturesque sunrises and sunsets over the mountains each day.”
“We currently have 16 chickens, three ducks, six full vegetable gardens and a very productive beehive! To be able to walk outside in the morning and easily access fresh eggs and orange juice for breakfast has been really fulfilling for the entire family,” says Jenna.
“There is so much happening in Rutherglen at the moment, with a gastro pub on the way, Australia’s best pie shop (in my opinion!), great little bars, restaurants, and the best wineries around.”
The homestead was formerly an award-winning winery. When Josh and Jenna found it, it was missing a roof and had been exposed to the elements for some five to ten years.
Matching chimneys protruding out the top like turrets led elder daughter, Fred, to name it ‘The Castle.’
“Luckily enough, the heart of this house shone through, and we could see clearly that it was a renovation challenge worth taking,” says Jenna.
Of course, restoring The Castle to its former glory hasn’t been without challenges. “The walls have been a real challenge to restore, as they are double brick with soft mortar, sandy render and a thin layer of lime plaster on top,” says Josh.
“Some areas were exposed back to brick and it’s a three-step process to reinstate those areas – Masonry adhesive followed by cornice cement, followed by topcoat. The drying times in winter have been killing us with each coat taking one to three days to dry fully!”
When the couple first stumbled across the listing for the homestead on Facebook Marketplace, it was its castle-like presence that immediately stood out to them.
“Up on a hill overlooking all of Rutherglen. It’s right on the fringe of town and only a ten-minute walk to the beautiful main street,” says Jenna.
“We enjoyed having so many amenities nearby in Melbourne and wanted to maintain this part of our lifestyle as best we could with our new home.
“When we first inspected the property, the girls were running wild around the land and picking and eating fruit off the trees and it all just felt right!”
Likewise, the décor seen so far from the Castle House appears vintage and whimsical in nature – like a storybook.
“As some people may have seen from our other projects, we have always leaned toward more ‘tonal’ interiors, so I feel that delving into colour has been a reflection of our fresh start in Regional Victoria,” says Jenna.
“We could also see, from what was left of the original walls, that each room and space was painted a different colour. This made us feel that we could tell a story throughout each room by using colour and bringing in some unique vintage and newer pieces to complement each space.
“We were excited by the idea of creating a fun yet nostalgic room for the girls to share, and one that they would remember growing up in together,” Jenna smiles.
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