Poets Lodge: Tour this Rustic, Luxe Country Stay

Who lives here:Poets Lodge is a luxury guesthouse

Location:Daylesford, Victoria

Decor Style: Country,yet minimal 

Favouriteroom: The main bedroom in the main house is amazing. It’s reallyspacious, has a fireplace and French doors that open out to a courtyard thatgets the morning sun. I also love the living room and dining room, with thefireplace and the big long table. 

Favourite pieces: MyFrench bed, which came from our holiday home in the south of France.

Biggest Splurge: The Cassina lounge

Biggest Save:Grandma Murphey’s sofa covered in Belgium green velvet in Old Jacks Cottage.

Whileholidaying in their vintage Toyota Coaster Bus in the picturesque town ofDaylesford, in north-west Victoria, Angeline and Richard O’Bryan came across arundown 1850s colonial house with a ‘For Sale’ sign posted out front. For thiscreative duo, who had no intentions of moving to the country from their life inMelbourne, it was love at first sight, and within a week the property wastheirs.

Their firstnight in the house was spent on a mattress in the living room, stoking a firewhile surrounded by rotted windows and a leaky roof. Unnerved by their decisionto take on such a project, Richard a builder by trade, and Angeline, interiordesigner and product designer and manufacturer of Herringbone blankets andsheepskin, set about restoring the property. From the get-go, the couplecommitted to retaining and enhancing the existing fabric of the home’s colonialheritage, three years on, and Poets Lodge is one of the most luxurious getawaysin beautiful Daylesford.

The Home

“We fell inlove with it all, the big wrap-around veranda, the original colonial windows(which are so rare now), the main bedroom and it’s private courtyard, big openfires, original floorboards and timber lining. It is just an amazing property,”says Angeline.

During therestoration of what was meant to be their home, the duo decided to reopen theproperty as a guesthouse. Steps away from the centre of town, and set back offthe road, the property has three separate lodgings; the original 1852 colonialMain House, Old Jacks Cottage built in the 1920s as a private residence for aprevious owner, and the duo’s own addition, the Garden Loft, a self-containedcouples retreat.   

Storytelling Interiors

“We restored absolutely everything with original product, except for The Garden Loft which Richard built entirely from reclaimed and recycled material. Even the spiral staircase came from a previous property we owned. Nothing is staged, or for show, it’s a luxurious country home designed for comfort,” says Angeline. 

The restoration of an original colonial property was never going to be an easy feat, but for Angeline and Richard, it was a labour of love. Reconnecting with previous owners, Richard respectfully, and at times painstakingly, restored the homes structural elements while Angeline focussed on the interiors.

Originallyfrom Ireland and having lived in the South of France, Angeline is a collectorof beautiful things, including the eclectic artwork that graces the walls ofall three lodgings. Collected over the years from Ireland, France, England andAustralia, many are original antiques sourced from local auction houses andlocal store, Found at Hepburn. A few of the newer pieces were painted to lookold from La Petite Galerie, an Australian-based painter.

“I love the authentic, working with what I have and adding to it with all original and antique furnishings bought on our travels or locally,” says Angeline. “My French bed came from our holiday home in the south of France, the candelabra from our travels in America, and the dining chairs are original Australian school chairs.”

Adding to these storytelling interiors is the couple’s inherited family library, a feature of the Main House. Plus, cast iron baths in many of the bedrooms, cosy fireplaces and beautiful homewares that were sourced from local stores eCasaDaylesford, Manteau Noir, and The Mill Markets Daylesford.

Luxury Guesthouse

Opening asPoets Lodge in January of 2020, the Main House has four light-filled bedrooms,open fireplaces and secluded reading room, an oversized living and dining roomwith large fireplace, light-filled country kitchen and outdoor terrace. OldJacks Cottage, a cosy romantic hideaway with Grandma Murphey’s sofa covered ina stunning green Belgium velvet, a cast iron hip bath and a Ned Kelly Pot BellyStove. And the newest addition, the Garden Loft has an open fire, steel spiralstaircase that leads to a mezzanine bedroom with operable roof windows and acast iron bath.  

“I feelpeople want something they don’t have at home when they go away, such as aVictorian hip bath in the bedroom, which many little boutique hotels have inFrance,” says Angeline. “I don’t work to a particular style; I get inspirationfrom what I love and what I think people want.”

The Neighbourhood

In the middle of Victoria’s famous spacountry, Daylesford is an oasis of calm and relaxation, where fields oflavender and charming cottages sit amongst acres of fairytale rural landscape.Just an hour from Melbourne, this quaint country town is the type of place youcan escape to all-year-round; warm, mineral-rich waters, farmgate produce,award-winning restaurants, and local artisans selling their wares in boutiquestores. There is so much charm to this heritage town that sits along thefoothills of the Great Dividing Ranges.

Angeline’s Favourite Daylesford Hangouts

For breakfast and coffee: BadHabits Café at The Convent is absolutely beautiful and has someof the best meals in Daylesford.

For lunch: Pancho Café is an amazing café owned by a gorgeous local couple,has the best cake, coffee, and they are really friendly.  

For dinner: BistroTerroirhas an amazing chef who cooks French food, and SurlyGoat in Hepburn Springs is delicious. 

For drinks: The FarmersArms is thecutest local pub with a small bar.

Shop at: ManteauNoir is a local boutique for fashion andhomewares, and PrideFurniture makes sustainable timber furniture here inDaylesford.

The one thing you love:Going down to the lake on a sunny afternoon and having a swim – it really isthe most beautiful lake to swim in. 

Get The Look

Piecesare sourced from eCasa Daylesford, Manteau Noir, and The Mill Markets Daylesford, Found in Hepburn.

If you loved this charming Victorian home tour, check out more of our home tours and start gathering some more home inspiration, or start planning your next romantic getaway to Victoria.