Character... Ashrowan's inviting lounge room.Credit:Brian Brownstein
Brian Brownstein discovers the home fires are burning nicely at this classic country house in Berrima.
Mirrors and paintings fill the lounge-room walls;antique furniture,bowls and trinkets enliven the room. Peek around a bookshelf and you see the unexpected:a piano,an easel,a sculpture of a Buddha.
Ashrowan B&B has character."It's a patchwork,"says Sue,our host. She's far too modest. It's clear a lot of thought has gone into the room's decor and it's a warm,inviting space.
The view from outside.Credit:Brian Brownstein
Just a short walk from Berrima's village centre,Ashrowan is expansive,too. Our rooms are in a separate guest wing,the Gardener's Retreat,furnished as fabulously as the main house.
There's a multitude of lamps and exquisite bedside tables. The bathroom doors have antique handles. And the retreat ticks all the winter comfort boxes:central heating,a wall heater and electric blanket.
There's enough space to hang your clothes and the view from the verandah to Ashrowan's manicured gardens and the valley beyond is stunning.
The Gardener's retreat bedroom.Credit:Brian Brownstein
Our bedroom adjoins a private sitting room,a cosy space with a log fire. Sue's partner,Phil,tends to the flames should you go out. This service,along with gestures such as fresh flowers by the bed and wine in the fridge,make us feel at home - except this is better.