Luchetti Krelle has revived the essence of the 100-year-old winery in the New South Wales Hunter Valley that reflects the spirit of a historic Australian homestead through a contemporary lens.
Mount Pleasant Wines was founded in 1921 by Maurice O’Shea in the Hunter Valley region. For 100 years, it has produced elegant and expressive wines championing the individual character of the region, and today, it is home to some of the oldest vineyards in Australia.
At its centenary, the building was largely unchanged: a Victorian-style white weatherboard homestead with classical country charm and channelling rustic affection.
While the structural membrane of the space was sound, the homestead had grown dated and in need of a reimagining. Luchetti Krelle was approached to update the traditional building through a contemporary lens, retaining its sense of lineage and personal identity, while reflecting its ongoing relevance and innovative spirit.
The practice carried out an extension of the existing building and a redesign of the facades, as well as a full revamp of the interiors. Turning to historic homesteads like Elizabeth Farm in Parramatta for inspiration, the designer began by removing some of the appropriated colonial features added in the nineties, including the moulded external cladding and the corrugated green roof.
Luchetti Krelle added an adjoining al fresco lounge with the slim armature of a blackened steel pergola.
Image:
Tom Ferguson
Luchetti Krelle also removed part of the verandah along the southern wing to enable the extension of the barn that connects a members’ bar, lounge, and dining area. “We stripped some of the verandahs off the smaller wing to reveal a ‘barn’ which sits better in the landscape and references the outbuildings that were originally on the property – back in Maurice O’Shea’s day,” said designer Rachel Luchetti. “The result is still a contemporary take on the homestead and barn with nostalgia in healthy doses.”
Reorienting the existing cellar door was also a major priority, which had been overlooking the carpark instead of to the north over the picturesque ranges. The designer added French doors with glass panes, creating a new northern outlook opportunity over Brocken Back Range, and an adjoining al fresco lounge with the slim armature of a blackened steel pergola.
With superfluous details removed, the timber panelling and joinery became the jewel of the interiors, from the cladding posts to the exposed rafter beams. According to the designer, there are over ten different species cladding the floors and walls, articulating custom furnishings and joinery.
The tasting room features an oversized blackbutt counter with preweathered zinc, adding instant aged patina.
Image:
Tom Ferguson
The entry point, The Wine Store, was lined with Tasmanian celery top pine, which exudes the delicate aroma of fresh forest air. The pine joinery is intended to reference traditional wine crates, and bottles appear suspended on custom joinery shelves on slick back discs.
In the adjoining homestead, a Tasmanian blackwood island bar stands out against the checkered Italian tumbled marble tiled flooring. With routed detailing and pre-weathered zinc, the oversized counter features instant aged patina. Contemporary artworks from the owners’ private collection by Bill Henson, Tracey Moffatt and Garry Shead (O’Shea’s nephew) charge the atmosphere with intellectual curiosity and irreverence.
In the sitting space, Persian-style rugs sit atop the blackened aged oak timber floors that line the room’s original slab. Hand-turned timber side tables and uniquely selected furnishings and fabrics create an intimate, homely feel. Despite the building’s scale, the clever interior design feels inviting, approachable and residential. “It was imperative that visitors felt as though they had arrived at a friend’s country estate – one that they could move through freely,” the designer said.
A private 20-seater dining room is entirely clad in blackbutt and sealed Oregon wall panels, stained by hand.
Image:
Tom Ferguson
There is also a private 20-seater dining room is entirely clad in blackbutt timber and sealed Oregon wall panels, stained by hand. The panelled room was conceived as a “majestic carved cave” that took the joiners over two months to complete. Intricately detailed, the chamfers were routed into the solid timber, accompanied by elevated finishes and metal-studded leather furniture.
Like its wine, the Mount Pleasant cellar door harbours full-bodied warmth and a refined vintage splendour. Luchetti Krelle successfully tapped into an historical Australian homestead vernacular in an authentic way that encourages comfort, lingering and pause.
