Australian artist Matt Martino and his wife Jane wanted a second home in the country but needed to off-set the cost. So they built this historic-looking country cottage in Daylesford with the intention of renting it out on occasion. Their plan: outfit with lived-in, comfortable furniture and thoughtful, quirky design details and original art, so guests feel like they’re in a real home… “the opposite of a hotel,” says Matt. Filling a style gap in the Australian holiday market, the house books out months in advance, and the couple can hardly squeeze in a weekend of their own. Their answer? Start a vacation home company called Comma (as in: a pause or break; time for relaxing and doing something else) and build another one–this time a Moroccan-Greek-themed, brick-rendered tent in Byron Bay. Stay tuned.

The Details
An hour and a half from Melbourne, Daylesford is a lovely little tourist town with rolling hills, lakes, woods and a charming cafe strip. The house has four bedrooms, with an additional loft suite in the stables outbuilding. You can split up and rent by the room/night, or rent the entire spread for $2,300 for the week at thecommagroup.com.

[Photos by Dianna Snape]