Home Tour: Golden Days & Cosy Nights Await at Sona Molong

As the founder of the eclectic homewares, fashion and art shop JUMBLED in Orange, Pip Brett has a keen eye for spotting potential. And that incredible skill came to the fore when she serendipitously spotted a run-down old bank in the charming town of Molong, just 20 minutes from Orange in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales.

After laying eyes on the building during a child-free escape with her husband, builder Nick Luelf, the couple put an offer on the property and snapped it up the same weekend.

Love at First Sight

“It was very silly, and I think we nearly gave our accountant a heart attack. We just loved it so much, and we had been looking at Molong for a while,” Pip laughs, remembering the speed at which things transpired. The couple wasted no time bringing their idea for a luxurious yet homely property to life.

When Pip and her team walked through the space, they knew they had found something special. The alluring Mediterranean accents and Art Deco features immediately inspired their vision for Sona Molong. “There is something magical about it that instantly makes you feel relaxed,” Pip says.

“When we first bought the property, the bank had been closed for six months, but it still had all its tellers in place. It looked like the workers had gone out for a cup of tea and would be back after their break. It looked tired and needed some love,” she recalls.

Making Bank

Though solidly built with generous features, the attached bank manager’s house had been uninhabited for years and required a major overhaul. “It was screaming potential, and we felt we were the people to bring new life to this lovely old girl,” Pip explains.

The journey from purchase to grand opening was challenging but the team banded together to think of solutions. “We spent one year in planning and council and then 11 months in construction,” she says. “My husband did most of the build on his own, which probably pushed back the timeline, but he had a great time doing it.”

Collaborating with her high school friend Felicity Slattery from architecture firm Studio Esteta, the pair designed a space that pays homage to the building’s history and is a modern, well-appointed retreat for its guests. “We are the dream team when we work together,” Pip exclaims.

A Modern Take on Australian Colours

They wanted to celebrate the historic features rather than erase them, using a modern take on the Australian heritage colour palette — think greens, reds, blues, and cream. “We also used the wave pattern throughout the property as a nod to the barley twist poles and the shell fans above the windows out the front of the bank.”

The result is a glorious symphony of old and new. “I love tiles and natural stone,” Pip enthuses. “We used Monreale marble in the kitchen, which is the most beautiful sage green, dusty pink, and beige stone. We also used a lot of linen in different colours and patterns.”

Each room in Sona Molong bursts with colour, texture, and light. “The bedrooms are a celebration of a different colour — green, blue, rust, gold. The walls and ceilings are saturated with one colour. Lush linen curtains are the same colour, with playful bedsides and lamps. Each bedroom has a bedhead that plays with the wave pattern,” Pip explains.

The bathrooms are equally exquisite, featuring Zellige blue, rust, and green tiles paired with stone tops and the best and warmest water pressure. “The wave also features in these spaces,” Pip adds, tying the design elements together seamlessly.

Rest & Recharge

A stay at Sona Molong is all about rest and recharging. Pip’s favourite setting to kick back is the old bank’s open-plan kitchen, living, and dining spaces.

Guests are encouraged to “enjoy the art of doing nothing” in this cosy space. Whether cooking up a storm in the kitchen, booking in the personal chef to take charge, taking ceramic classes with a local teacher, or simply sitting around the fire pit, Sona Molong is the ultimate location to unashamedly switch off and relax.

“To me, it’s just a space where you want to sit and enjoy your own company or that of your family and friends. It’s an interior for making memories,” Pip says.

The response from guests has been glowing. “We’ve had families with all four generations staying at Sona, girl gangs, book clubs that don’t read — they just drink, eat, and laugh,” Pip shares. Pip is most proud of giving the old bank a new life and bringing more tourism to the Molong community. “It’s very important for us to promote, celebrate, and support the amazing community of Molong through what we do,” she says.

PROJECT CREDITS:

Photographers: Milly Mead @millymead, Pip Brett @jumbledonline and Clancy Paine @clancypaine

Interior Styling: Studio Esteta @studioesteta, Pip Brett @jumbledonline

Build: Nick Luelf aka Speedy @speedyluelf Architect: Studio Esteta @studioesteta

Landscaping: Greenspace Landscape Design @greenspacedesign_orangensw

Curtains and Upholstery: The Interior Collective @theinteriorcollective_co

Words: Bella Brennan @bellarosebrennan

Enjoyed our home tour of Sona Molong and want to keep perving some of the most stylish places going around? Take a look inside Light House in Vaucluse, then discover the cottage-cool charm of this Balmain home.