Interiors

A Bewitching Owner-Designed Farmhouse Built From Handmade Mudbricks (In The Year 2000!)

About 24 years ago, Susie and Charlie Kotiw bought 35 acres of land in Axe Creek, Victoria (about 20 minutes from Bendigo) and made a permanent tree change from inner-city Melbourne.

The couple lived in a caravan on site while designing their own home built using handmade mudbricks, recycled timber, and salvaged materials sourced from old wharves, bridges, buildings, and even movie sets.

Over the subsequent two decades, the property has continued to evolve as time and finances have allowed, culminating in the enchanting house and landscape you see today.

See more of this very special home.

Written
by
Amelia Barnes
|
Photography
by
|
Editorial styling
by

The Axe Creek, Victoria country home of Susie Kotiw.

Susie and her late husband Charlie Kotiw began designing and building their home from scratch in the year 2000.

The house was built using mudbricks handmade on site.

The house features salvaged materials sourced from old wharves, bridges, buildings, and even movie sets.

The living room fireplace.

Bricks and Baltic pine was recovered from several demolished (or soon to be) 19th early and 20th century buildings and used in the build.

Vaulted ceilings create intimate interior nooks.

Susie’s favourite spot in the home is in the upstairs antique clawfoot bath.

The property has the feeling of an authentic period farmhouse despite being built in the 21st century.

The wraparound verandah.

The house has evolved over a period of about 20 years.

Susie Kotiw in front of her Axe Creek home.

Houses like this can only exist after many years of work, dedication, and love.

Susie’s pet horses.

The huge dry stone wall along the driveway — constructed by hand.

One of Susie’s six peacocks.

Susie’s pet geese love the island in the property’s dam.

Writer
Amelia Barnes
Photography
Editorial styling
6th of July 2023
Location

Axe Creek, VIC/Dja Dja Wurrung Country

Homes like Susie Kotiw’s are only possible after many years of work, dedication, and love.

Despite appearing as an authentic 1900s farmhouse, Susie and her late husband Charlie Kotiw began building this house in Axe Creek, Victoria (about 20 minutes from Bendigo) from scratch in the year 2000.

They spent two initial years living in a caravan while they designed and built the house using mudbricks handmade on site, and recycled materials collected far and wide.

‘We sourced recycled and salvaged timbers, doors, and windows from all over Victoria and South Australia,’ says Susie. ‘We wanted to use the old materials to give the house a feeling of timelessness.’

After moving into the house, Susie and Charlie turned their attention to the landscaping. They built a new dam directly in front of the house (that includes an island for birdlife); planted trees; and constructed a huge dry stone wall along the driveway by hand.

‘I collected the stone on the property and he built the walls slowly and painstakingly over many years with love and patience,’ says Susie.

Susie and Charlie later expanded their house to include a second floor bedroom, en suite, and extra stairway. ‘We found more old doors and leadlights from an old house in Bendigo,’ says Susie. ‘Limited finances have meant that much of what has been achieved has been through our labours.’

Charlie has now sadly passed away, but his spirit remains embedded in the walls of the home. ‘I feel like Charlie’s DNA is in every corner of this house and property and that it is a lasting monument to his love, skill and hard work,’ says Susie.

Susie continues to work hard creating habitats for local wildlife on the property by encouraging a natural reclamation of native vegetation. The house is also home to many pets: two horses, two dogs, two cats, 18 geese, 13 guinea fowls, and six peacocks.

The animals, the house, and the land are Susie’s passions. Her favourite spot in the home is the upstairs antique clawfoot bath, gazing through the windows, before falling into bed.

She adds, ‘With continuing efforts and responsibilities leading to quite a solitary existence, few others have been able to appreciate the captivating nature of this space. Those that have, remarked on its uniqueness and natural beauty.’

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