Hygge living - Bronwyn and Simon

Among the first residents to make Middleton Field home, Simon and Bronwyn know a thing or two about building and renovating. Having renovated seven houses and built two from the ground up, they had a clear idea of what they wanted from their next home.

After several years living locally, the couple were ready for a change. A warmer, more energy-efficient home, a garden that didn't require quite so much attention and somewhere they could enjoy retirement, with Daylesford's cafés, shops and community close by.

What began as a casual look at a land release became an opportunity to build a home designed around the way they wanted to live.

The Hygge team recently caught up with Simon and Bronwyn to hear about their experience building at Middleton Field, the little details that make their home work and what they're enjoying most about their new neighbourhood.

How did you first come across Middleton Field?

We'd been living locally and already knew we loved the area. We wanted to stay close enough to Melbourne to see our children, but we honestly didn't think we could afford to live in Daylesford.

Then an advertisement for Middleton Field appeared on Bronwyn's Facebook feed. We saw the price of the land and thought we'd go and have a look. We weren't planning to buy a block that day at all!

We'd previously considered building elsewhere, but Middleton Field offered a flatter site, closer to town, and the opportunity to build a home that would suit us well into the future.

What were you looking for in your next home?

We'd fully renovated our previous Edwardian home. It was beautiful, with 15-foot ceilings, but incredibly difficult to heat. We were cold for about five months of the year.

Our garden in Hepburn was gorgeous too, but it had become almost a full-time occupation. There were stairs everywhere, and we started thinking about what we really wanted as we got older.

We needed a thermally efficient home, everything on one level and a garden we could enjoy without spending every weekend maintaining it. We've spent much of our lives buying houses and making them work for us. This time we wanted to get it right from the beginning.

What was it about Middleton Field that appealed to you?

A few things came together. We liked what Hygge was planning for the neighbourhood, particularly the landscaping and wetlands. It was clear there was a bigger picture for how everything would come together.

The Middleton Field Design Guidelines were actually part of the appeal. Some people might see them as restrictive, but for us they gave us confidence in what was being built around us.

We could see there was a scheme for the neighbourhood, and it was attractive. It took away some of the uncertainty about what might happen on neighbouring blocks.

And of course, being able to walk into Daylesford is wonderful. All our friends are more accessible now, and nobody has to get in the car. A couple of Danishes at the Sunday market is becoming a bit of a temptation. The real danger is we'll spend more, not less!

You've renovated and built a number of homes. What was different about this experience?

We've always been people who wanted to design things ourselves and put our own personality into a home.

A catalogue of designs would never normally have appealed to us. We've always liked older houses, ideally nothing built after 1890!

But this time we were less concerned about the house being an expression of us and more interested in how well it would function. We chose one of the pre-approved designs and worked with Jack Dodd to make some changes to suit us.

The floor plan already worked really well, so it was a matter of refining the details. Things like proper soundproofing between rooms and making sure we had enough storage.

Sustainability is clearly important to you both. How is your new home performing?

This is probably the part we're proudest of. Our home is all-electric, with no gas. We have a heat pump, battery storage and an electric car that we charge at home.

But it's the thermal performance that has really impressed us. On one occasion, when it was two degrees outside, the house was sitting at 16 degrees inside without any heating on at all. In our old home, it could actually be colder inside than outside. There were mornings when you didn't want to get out of bed!

Living in the Central Highlands, that makes an enormous difference. We've always said that what you spend heating an inefficient home through a Daylesford winter could probably buy you a couple of airfares. We'd much rather spend the money on the airfares.

How have you made the home your own?

We've kept things fairly pared back, with a focus on contemporary living and making sure everything has its place.

There's plenty of storage, so we don't have washing piling up on the dining table or papers gathering at the end of the kitchen island. And Bronwyn finally has a proper laundry! It's become something of a highlight on the house tour. Visitors barely get through the front door before they're taken to see it.

We're also working on the garden with Natasha Morgan, who is helping us select plants and trees. We don't want an enormous vegetable garden. When you're only feeding two people, there's only so much passata you can make!

Instead, we're planning kitchen herbs, perennials and annuals, and a garden that changes with the seasons without becoming another full-time job.

What's it been like settling into the Middleton Field neighbourhood?

We're so excited to have neighbours again. For years we lived surrounded by accommodation businesses, B&Bs, hotels and motels. There were lovely people around, but everyone was busy running their businesses.

Here we've already met some wonderful neighbours, many of whom are retired or approaching retirement, like us. It's peaceful and quiet, we get beautiful light and there's a lovely sense of community starting to develop.

Being able to talk directly with the Hygge team has also been reassuring. Understanding what was planned for the wider neighbourhood, and being able to ask questions along the way, made a difference.

It's nice knowing that the people behind the development are approachable and genuinely interested in how the neighbourhood comes together.

What are you most looking forward to?

Being part of it all.

We're already thinking about putting Christmas decorations on the front of the house this year, and perhaps doing something for Halloween. We might even get children walking down the street, which we've never really had before. Hopefully we'll have a neighbourhood Christmas party too.

It's those little things that help make somewhere feel like a community. We've got great light, good neighbours, we're walking distance to town and we finally have a home that does exactly what we need it to.

It's the place we were told we couldn't afford, done properly.

Photos of Middleton Field and Bronwyn and Simon’s new home by Creating Ripples.