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After years of managing publicity campaigns for travel and accommodation projects, Genevieve Campbell decided to start her own.
The founding CEO of communications agency The Mint Partners recently opened Leighton House with her husband, whose family have owned the circa 1840s homestead for 40 years.
The boutique accommodation is located in Evandale, Tasmania: about 20 minutes south of Launceston, and five minutes from Launceston Airport.
The history of the farmhouse is tied to the equine industry. The original owners used the 300-acre farm to breed Clydesdale horses, and the property was once home to Piping Lane — the first Tasmanian horse to win the Melbourne Cup.
‘Today we agist a number of horses for horse lovers in the local area,’ says Genevieve.
When taking over the farm’s operations five years ago, Genevieve saw potential to give the property new life as boutique accommodation.
‘While it has always been and will be a farm, the burgeoning Tasmanian tourist scene and notoriety around the area’s cool climate grapes made the home ripe for a transformation from farm only into “agritourism” she says.
Establishing the accommodation kick-started a major renovation, starting with a restoration of the original 1840s rooms.
‘The original house was in surprisingly good condition. We put a new roof on, did some cosmetic plaster work and painting, sanded the floors and she has come up beautifully,’ says Genevieve.
Core Collective Architects designed the new addition, which sits proudly beside the Victorian house (connected via a glass atrium walkway) in homage to its historic layout.
Genevieve explains, ‘The original house would never have housed a kitchen. Houses of that era always had the kitchen outside in case it burnt down (and the house with it). So, in essence, the kitchen has come out of the original house and moved into another wing as it would have been.’
In contrast to the Victorian architecture, the modern addition adopts a barn-style structure containing soaring ceilings, open-plan spaces, and steel-framed windows.
Mud bricks sourced from a local quarry have been left unpainted to ‘disappear into the landscape, ensuring the beauty of the original home is not impinged.’
Underpinning the new spaces are luxury features to enhance the guest experience. The western terrace hosts the ideal location for sunset drinks, the dining room seats 12, and there’s a ‘teenager’s hideaway’ in the house complete with a pool table.
Outdoor amenities include a fire pit, pizza oven, cedar spa, and a barrel sauna, providing everything guests need to entertain and relax without ever having to leave the property.
‘Whether it is making pizza together in the open-plan kitchen, doing a puzzle in front of the fire, taking a morning walk to the South Esk River, or a sunset spa overlooking the paddock, it really has something for everyone, at all times of the day, at different times of the year,’ says Genevieve.
Leighton House sleeps up to 12 guests across three queen bedrooms and a triple bunk room.
