Chester Cottage

Builder: Scott & Brad Male  |  Design Collaboration & Styling: Tamasine Dale  |  Photography: Alex Reinders  |  Year completed: 2024

Chester Cottage is an early stone and brick Georgian style Gingerbread cottage, built in the 1860s in Castlemaine, Victoria. The property is situated close to the highly regarded Castlemaine Botanical Gardens. The scope of works involved an extensive restoration, ranging from new concrete footings to corrugated roof, along with the addition of a full length sun room; Great effort was made to preserve all of the original Georgian architectural features, such as the cove ceilings and brick fireplaces.

The client’s brief was to create a sense of warmth in tone and texture, with finishes and furnishings that borrow from the building’s evolving history. My intention was to draw focus to the past by contrasting the traditional elements of the design with a sleek and contemporary flourish.