Walking down from the Oxenberry cellar door, we find that purpose
now fully realised. The two humble buildings stretch out from each
other on an angle, embracing the slate courtyard in a seeming
welcome to guests arriving for an overnight stay. The stone walls are
the original limestone accented by the rich rust-red of ironstone.
Now masterfully re-pointed, they look ready to take on their next
phase of life.
The aim for both buildings was to preserve as many original features
as possible, overlaying history with the trappings of a modern, luxe
accommodation experience. While Colton Cottage was structurally
sound, Daringa required a complete rebuild from the ground up.
Every brick was taken down and the floors — which lay directly on
the dirt — were pulled up, to enable modern ventilation and footings
to be retrofitted. The walls were rebuilt using the original bricks,
cleaned and rotated 180 degrees to hide their age scars. An ever-so-
slight wave in the wall line was also maintained, faithfully reproducing
the variation created by ground movements over the past 180 years
(‘it made it fun for the guys putting the verandah on,’ says Michael).The original floors couldn’t be salvaged and were replaced with
century-old jarrah floorboards. They came from the old Clarks Shoes
factory in Adelaide, bought by Michael twenty years ago (‘I thought,
I’ll need them for something,’ he says). The roof, miraculously, only
required reinforcing.Entering Daringa, the front door leads into a kitchen and cosy dining
nook. The kitchen’s modern farmhouse feel, like the rest of the
interior, was designed by Mary Harben of GHD. The view above the
expansive farmhouse sink looks out to the courtyard, the window
framed by simple white subway tile. The black enamel Smeg oven
commands attention, but other appliances have been discreetly
hidden away to push thoughts of modern technology out of mind.
The lighting too has been designed to retain the original feel. Pendant
lights have been used sparingly above the dining table and for
bedside lighting, but the remaining lighting sits, unobtrusively, flush
to the ceiling. The sitting room is simple but comfortable, the neutral
furnishings gathered around the original red-brick fireplace. Two
bedrooms are each serviced by an ensuite with bath. >Top left: The original floors couldn’t be salvaged and were replaced with century-old jarrah floorboards salvaged from the old Clarks Shoes factory in Adelaide. Top right
and above: Guests are greeted with a complimentary platter, bubbles and Italian chocolates from Oxenberry Farm.