When Condé Nast Traveler has named a restaurant as one of the most beautiful in the world – twice – the owner knows the bar has been set very high.
So it was for John Singleton, the owner of Saddles restaurant at Mt White when he decided to update an existing, large garden nursery barn on the property into a functions, events and casual dining centre. It had to be a little different to the restaurant but just as beautiful, just as exciting.
John knew interior designer Michelle Leslie was up to the challenge. She had designed Saddles restaurant, Pretty Beach House and the interiors of several stunning homes on the Coast and internationally.
‘It’s a huge room’, says Michelle ‘and the last thing we wanted was for it to look like a vast soulless hotel ballroom. It had to have loads of character, relate to its rural environment and be stunningly beautiful at the same time. Easy!’
Like Saddles, The Barn continues a very Australian rural feel with a substantial wrap-around veranda, an aged timber exterior and big, barn entry doors. Its heritage as a nursery still dominates with bountiful foliage – fresh or hanging from the lofty ceiling – and giant clam shells filled with oranges and pomegranates.
‘The vision was for a rich, comfortable and welcoming space within a design that cultivates a celebratory atmosphere,’ says Michelle.
A large fireplace with sandstone surround forms a central focus – reminiscent of the huge fireplaces in heritage hotels such as the Yosemite’s Ahwahnee Lodge – together with the option of intimate conversation groupings with leather lounge chairs, velvet couches, quiet nooks, and several large, carved timber tables that form charming vignettes throughout the room.
‘Each of the large tables invites its own individual presence,’ says Michelle. ‘They dovetail time-worn craftsmanship with their surrounding furniture, ambient lighting and elegantly theatrical gestures that coax deep comfort with an emphasis on togetherness and hospitality.’
You might even envisage it as the setting for a sheep or cattle dynasty using it as their extensive homestead lounge straight from the film set of an Australian ‘Yellowstone’.
Michelle has created a place of graceful poise and social comfort that leaves behind everything other than what is being celebrated within, and is agile enough to host anything from weddings, family reunions and corporate functions to musical events.
Just beyond The Barn is John Singleton’s large private aviary housing his 75 beloved, free-flying, long-tailed macaws, as well as several black cockatoos and salmon-crested cockatoos. Imagine magnificent blue, red and gold macaws as a backdrop for unforgettable wedding photos!
Discover more about The Barn.
