For years now, Danielle Symes has been capturing our hearts and igniting our creativity as she renovates and restores the historic Coach House in the Adelaide Hills that she and her family call home. Since their tree change in 2021, and all the hard work that followed, life has taken on a charming pace. Danielle now finds herself embodying the very house she lives in.
It has been our greatest pleasure to spend time in the Adelaide Hills with Danielle while she hosted our Winter Collection photoshoot with Bambi Photo. Here we ask her about her favourite parts of life in her storybook home and how it feels to raise her daughters there.
How would you describe your personal style?
Like the nanny 'Chessy' from the movie 'The Parent Trap' crossed with a bit of Julia Roberts in ‘Pretty Woman’ - after the makeover!
Do you find your personal style overlaps with how you style your home? Can you tell us more about how this intersects?
I think it does actually! I’ve never really thought about it before, but looking around my home right now, I kind of blend right in! I guess I just naturally lean toward classic pieces in both fashion and interiors, things you can layer and restyle easily. Funny enough, about 90% of my home is thrifted, and the same goes for most of my wardrobe.
Growing up in the '90s, I feel like I absorbed the whole Nancy Meyers aesthetic without even realising it. Her films have this effortless elegance - cosy kitchens, relaxed tailoring, soft palettes, and a lived-in, timeless feel. Whether it’s a beautifully styled table or a well-worn pair of denim overalls, I think I’m always chasing that same sense of warmth and understated beauty she captures so well.
The Coach House has been a turning point in your life in many ways. How do you find yourself and your family spending time together now that you have settled into the Adelaide Hills?
We really value the simple parts of life at home… Slow mornings, making pancakes, having slumber parties in the lounge, and eating dinner in the garden while the chickens wander nearby. Living here often feels like you're on holiday. Whether we're walking around our property or through the streets of our little town, it feels peaceful and a bit like stepping back in time. Even everyday things, like getting ice cream after school or visiting the local library, carry a certain charm. There’s a simplicity to life up here that makes it easy to appreciate what we have, even in the small moments.
What parts of your cottage and garden do you girls love being in the most?
When we first got this house, I dreamed of having a large wooden table in the courtyard, with the French doors from the kitchen and lounge area opening out onto it. Now that it’s actually a reality, it is still a pinch-me moment every time, and eating outside in that courtyard has become one of my favorite things about the house. Then there’s our chicken coop, which we built ourselves using leftover scrap wood from the property and an old cubby house that I found on Facebook Marketplace. It’s such a magic little spot in the garden and I love looking at it from the living room doors.
Our Winter Collection editorial was captured at Danielle's stunning home by Bambi Photo.
Your loves of photography, interior design, and antiquing have all come together so beautifully in the world that you share online. What is your favourite way to create when you have time to yourself?
I genuinely love cooking and creating a beautiful table setting to go with it. Over the years, I’ve collected a mix of antique serving plates and vintage crockery through thrifting, so whenever I get the chance to host, I go all out with a full spread served on my favourite pieces of mismatched china. I’m definitely that friend who says, “It’s just something casual,” and then everyone arrives to a three-course meal with linen napkins, silverware, and candelabras. I can’t help myself!
Looking forward in time to your daughters being a similar age to you now, what memories do you hope they hold on to of their childhoods?
My husband and I talk about this often, and I think it’s the little everyday things I hope they look back on fondly… The card games by the fire, dinners outside while shooing chickens off the table, touching the gutter with their toes from being pushed so high on the swing, cups of tea in the kitchen while they tell me about their day, and all the little traditions we share on birthdays, Easter, and Christmas.
There’s a beautiful quote by Little Jemmings that says, “It will be you. Your kids may not know it yet, but one day, when they’re grown and start families and traditions of their own, it will be you in the mirror.” There’s more to it than just that snippet, but it makes me cry every time I hear it. More than anything, I just want them to remember how loved they are.
You can find more of Danielle’s life and home on her Instagram, and hire her home for photoshoots here.
All imagery courtesy of Danielle Symes & Bambi Photo.
Discover our full Winter Collection online here.
