When Gold Logie winner and media celebrity Grant Denyer bought an almost 12-hectare farm on the outskirts of Bathurst with his wife Chezzi eight years ago, it was love at first sight.

"The moment we drove down the long dirt driveway, we just fell in love with the property," Grant says.

Chezzi's family lives nearby and having Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit a stone's throw away appealed to Grant's love of car racing.

The couple lived in Sydney between 2008 and 2011, then moved to Grays Point until 2013, before deciding to embrace the countryside in 2014.

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"I was living life pedal to the metal and felt we lacked a life and work balance. We were craving our country roots again," Grant says.

Since buying the home, they've doubled its footprint with a mighty two-year renovation, turning the sprawling home into one suitable for their growing family of three kids.

"The home wasn't particularly big or flashy when we bought it. It was a kit home and quite deceiving from the exterior," Grant says.

"We felt the design didn't take in the view at all, and it was only after we'd lived in it for a while that we realised this would be our forever family home. The big makeover actually started from my desire to have an outdoor barbecue area as an indoor space, but it became a whole-house renovation."

An en suite in the main bedroom was a must for Chezzi, who turned the large room into a retreat where floor-to-ceiling marble surrounds a standalone bath that takes in the view of Mount Panorama.

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They worked with Warren Mackey Building and Kylie Ryan, an interior designer from Inside Outside, to capture their rustic country homestead-meets-Hamptons contemporary chic.

Timber is used throughout, while bright white cabinetry in the kitchen and entertaining area give it a modern sophistication. A large stone feature wall surrounds the fireplace.

Stonemason Jack Janetzki brought a little bit of magic to the detail with a signature heart stone embellished in the structure.

The home has plenty of chill-out zones to keep everybody happy – large lounge rooms, a games room, Grant's office that doubles as their podcast studio, a kids' toy room, and a few extra bathrooms.

A large entertaining kitchen area makes it ideal for having guests.

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"Being able to look [through] a six-metre-long glass wall down the valley is pretty breathtaking from the kitchen," Chezzi says.

A royal oak timber floor weaves throughout, giving it an intentionally rustic, lived-in feel.

"It's an engineered timber that was actually quite hard to find," Grant says. "I love the wide planks that are full of detail and marks, making it quite extraordinary. I wanted that shearing-shed feel to the floorboards to suit the home."

A Stone Ambassador island bench is an elegant addition, while gold handles to all cabinetry elevate the kitchen ambience. A Falcon Classic Deluxe stove gives it a toasty country nod. Herringbone tiles are used as a splashback in the butler's pantry.

But it's the connection to the outdoors that grounds the couple the most. They've gone from living in apartments to embracing nature.

"Home has so much more emotional value now since the pandemic," Grant says. "It's your fortress, and you want to feel safe in it and be protected from whatever is happening in the world right now. I am glad we renovated when we did because it has a much deeper meaning to us. While it's been tiresome and expensive, it's been an exceptional outcome, and we wouldn't change a thing."

For now, Grant is happy to work from home.

"The front of the house looks humble and small, and then you open up our front door and see a timber-lined corridor with a humongous window that shows the mountains outside. The house grows in size as you walk through it. I like the illusion it gives," Grant says.

"It wasn't that long ago I had 300 nights in a hotel in just two-and-a-half years," he adds. "That's a crazy amount of time I was missing with my family. To live in this extended home and be around for school drop off, nappy changes and reading to the kids before bed – it's been great not to be away so much."

This story first appeared in Domain magazine.

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