KILMORE is set to be the star in a Channel 10 series making a return to television screens in August, with the second season of Country House Facelift featuring a 115-year-old house on Fitzroy Street.
The series will take place over six parts, and will go to air on August 1, following host Walt Collins’ decision to sell up in Rochester – featured in series one – and moving into Kilmore.
Mr Collins said a snap decision helped him choose Kilmore as his next location.
“I lived in Richmond for about 17 years, and in COVID, I decided I needed to buy a house, and the only place I could afford was an old farm house in Rochester, and I did the first series during lockdown, we shot it all, did a renovation and I was there for three and a half years,” he said.
“It was too far from the airport, with my work, needing to be in a different city most weeks, so I decided to sell it, and I was looking for an area which was within that magic one hour within Melbourne, I wanted to find a town that hadn’t gone through a modern renaissance yet, it hadn’t been overpopulated and hadn’t been ruined by Melbourne’s sprawling suburbs just yet, and I drove through Kilmore most weeks on the way to and from Rochester, and I loved it.
“I loved the little bakeries, I loved the history, I loved that it was one of the oldest towns in Australia, I loved the vibe, the hills, the weather, but it was only by chance, I searched Kilmore, and this house was the first that popped up, and I didn’t look at anything else.
“I drove up a week later, met with Georgina from Wilson Partners, and asked if I can inspect it. I knew when I drove up the hill, got out of my car, and walked into the house, I’m going to have to buy it and change my entire life, and I did.”
Mr Collins has named the house Annie’s Hillhouse – named after his mother, who dreamed of owning a similar home throughout his upbringing.
“We were brought up really poor. She struggled, but her dream was always to have a big country house, to have a cottage and the open fire, and a bit of that rubbed off on me, despite living in big apartments in many cities around the world, something drew me to a cozy, beautiful country house, and I decided to name my properties after her as a nod to my childhood,” he said.
Mr Collins said viewers can expect to see plenty of great television across the six-part series, as well as a homage to the businesses and locals around the Kilmore area.
“Kilmore features prominently at the start of every episode, there are some beautiful drone shots, shots in the street, I’ve been to local cafes. There’s lots of little Kilmore businesses which pop up. It’s a chance to show people Kilmore is a beautiful place to live and a sensible place to buy,” he said.
“There’s lots of advice on choosing materials, textures, how to choose colours, especially in country houses, making a house blend in with its local environment.
“There’s a drama, the kitchen company we paid to do our kitchen went bankrupt and disappeared, so that knocked us back five months, so I was living in this house with an air fryer, kettle and microwave for five months, and a completely empty kitchen that was ripped out, ready to be installed.
“There’s stuff about gardens, local plants, meeting the neighbour across the road, a lady called Kaye who is part of the Kilmore Historical Society, she has become a friend of ours, she tells us her house, and our house were the two original houses on the hill on Fitzroy Street.”