My
home
Just up the hill from the Beacon Hill Country Store sits Rebekah and Roger Bay’s historic family home in Hope. The Beacon Hill house was originally a humble cob cottage, constructed back in the 1840s. Since then it has seen a number of renovations as six generations of the family have made it their home. Tess Jaine
Where is your home and who lives here?
What’s your favourite spot in the house?
Our home is in Hope. My husband Roger and I, and our youngest daughter Evangeline, live here along with our puppy Esther, our four chickens, our herd of yaks and our deer.
We all love the conservatory.
What four words would you use to describe your home? Spacious, timeless, rustic and private.
What inspired this look? I’ve always loved traditional homes but I have pretty eclectic taste, I like mixing styles, so as long as I love it, I add it. We live on a farm so it has to pass the ‘is this practical’ test. I don’t follow trends and I don’t change things often, so whatever I choose I know I’ll have to live with for a long time, so I choose carefully. I still have items I bought when I was 18 which I still love. Quality never goes out of style.
Where do you shop for homewares? I love Richmond Antiques and Eclectic. I also shop a little too much in my own shop.
What piece would you never part with? I’d never part with our historic family portraits, brought out from India with the Paton family in the 1860s.
What’s your decorating style? I love quality and the natural world, so I adore natural materials. My decorating style is very influenced by this, I love stone, timber, linen, and earthy colour schemes. Nature definitely has a strong influence on my style choices. I am always drawn to things with a rustic edge and a bit of a story. I love antiques but they have to be practical.
ABOVE: Roger and Rebekah Bay in the entrance to their favourite room of the house; the conservatory.
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