Country chic in Kenton Valley
This Adelaide Hills oasis boasts professionally-built horse facilities on almost 25 hectares of land.
Adelaide is a far cry from Undeloh, a small village in northern Germany that is home to less than 1000 people.
But almost two years ago, Dennis and Jette Koegeboehn found themselves making the move from the only home they had ever known.
Dennis, who works in the port sector, was travelling back and forth for work. When the demand to be in Australia eventually increased, Jette said: “Why not move?”
“We saw the potential in the property,” Dennis says.
“It’s very calm, it’s very serene, it’s very close to nature, which we quite liked.”
The Kenton Valley property sits on an impressive 24.9 hectares and, for two horse lovers, space was paramount.
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“It was, the horses and the girl or none of them,” Dennis says, referring to Jette who grew up on a pony farm and used to be an eventer.
“There was no avoiding the neighbours [in Undeloh], whereas here our next neighbours are probably 500 metres away … we can do our own thing.
“That’s absolutely not what we know from Germany where people complain about the straightness of your fence.”
With a long way to move, Dennis and Jette needed an unusually long settlement period, but Dennis says this gave them the time to consider what they wanted to do with the property.
Of course, they needed somewhere for the horses, so the couple installed a 30×70 metre riding arena, complete with a 20×30 metre sand yard and a 20×12 metre facility shed that houses the equipment and a tie-up area for the four horses – one of which made the long journey from Germany.
The home, originally built in 2009, was in need of a modern touch so, working in stages, the couple made 141 Jacksons Hill Road their own.
In almost two years they have upgraded the bathrooms and installed underfloor heating, upgraded all of the kitchen appliances and replaced all of the windows with double-glazed and all of the sliding doors with triple-triple glazed glass.
What was once an additional living area has been converted into a mudroom, which now also serves as the entrance.
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The landscaping around the home has also been transformed from what was mostly gravel to extended lawns and native plants behind a wooden fence.
Dennis says previously the garden felt disproportionate to the house, so they extended it to create a “green oasis” that welcomes people in.
Inside, it is all about natural light and interesting colours and features that afford it a country chic aesthetic.
“I take absolutely no credit for it, that’s all my wife,” Dennis says.
“She would be the one to roam around antique markets to find unique things – restore old chairs and other pieces.”
Dennis and Jette are now making another big move, this time to the south of France where Jette has plans for a Bed and Breakfast, and Dennis will follow once he wraps up work in Adelaide.
But Dennis says he will miss the uninterrupted views of the Adelaide Hills.
“When I work from home it’s almost hard to concentrate sometimes because I’m overlooking the land and vineyards and the horses,” he says.
“I’ll never have a home office with such stunning views again.
“I do not think we’ll ever again have a setting which is so peaceful, quiet and full of nature … right on your doorstep.”
The sale of 141 Jacksons Hill Road is being handled by Arabella Hooper and Taryn Varcoe of Harris Real Estate.
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