Music regularly fills the Ballarat home of Gorgi and Simon Coghlan
Music regularly fills the Ballarat country home of Gorgi and Simon Coghlan.
Music regularly fills the Ballarat country home of Gorgi and Simon Coghlan, with daughter Molly-Rose playing a much-loved grand piano in the living room.
Gorgi, a television presenter on the 10 Network’s The Project, says the piano was a gift from her mother, Kay, who also plays.
“I didn’t want it tucked away in a music room and our daughter plays it before school, during the day and when we have guests. I love that it’s part of our daily life as music is a really huge part of our world,” she says.
Gorgi and Simon, who own the award-winning boutique hotel, The Provincial Ballarat, and in-house restaurant, Lola, have turned a low-ceiling, small-window, 1970s five-bedroom classic brown-brick farmhouse into a dream home, with a strong connection to the garden.
Now the light-filled house with huge windows and high ceilings is rendered and painted in eucalypt green, to blend with the surrounding countryside.
“I chose white, green and pink as my decor palette as they’re my favourite colours and I find green particularly calming,” says Gorgi, a talented singer who came third on The Masked Singer Australia TV series.
“The design and feel of our home reflects how we feel in the country — relaxed, comfortable, playful and classic all rolled into one. Most people instantly relax when they come to our house.”
With a passion for food, the sleek kitchen is big enough for the couple to both cook at the same time, with a deliberately huge bench.
“I love it when I’m cooking or baking and Molly-Rose sits at the kitchen bench and watches or does her homework, it’s a really interactive and relaxed space,” Gorgi says.
Sliding kitchen doors open to an outside patio area and meals can be served from the window for al fresco summer dining.
Born and raised on a sheep farm near Warrnambool, Gorgi is a former state-level equestrian competitor in eventing and dressage, and she’s passed her love of horses on to Molly-Rose, aged nine.
A painting of her beloved warmblood horse, Liliana, by artist and friend Mardi Featherston, has been enlarged and printed on tiles on the playroom wall.
“I love how it looks like Liliana is cantering through the room,” she says.
In their spare time Gorgi loves riding with her daughter. “Horses are incredibly intelligent and powerful animals, and I can see horses being part of our lives forever and we’re currently in the process of building our stables which is really exciting.”
The garden is her special place and she’s been inspired by gardening expert Paul Bangay, repeating her favourite palette of white, pink and green with hydrangeas, lilacs, roses, daphne and camellias for a pop of colour in winter, along with tulips.
She loves how you can see the garden no matter where you are in the house, and enjoys every season.
The flourishing veggie patch is Simon’s domain and he is an expert on the ride-on mower.
Gorgi, who is also The Langham Melbourne ambassador, says she relishes the quiet time she spends listening to podcasts as she travels to the city and back and chatting to her girlfriends.
But she’s a country girl at heart and loves all that fresh air and freedom.
“We love the peace, the sense of community and that there’s always a long list of jobs to do so you’re never bored at home,” she says.
A great start to her day is getting up early, collecting the eggs from the chook house, feeding the horses and watering the garden — then she’s ready to work.
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