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Arriving at the romantic veranda of this heritage-listed East Launceston home known as Beulah House is almost like stepping back in time.
The grand, two-storey property was originally built in 1847 and has retained most of its striking Georgian features, from the original front door to the sprawling gardens that envelop the homestead.
It’s been beautifully maintained, and the latest custodians — Bec and David — have spent the last two years updating the house for modern living, to ensure it stands the test of time.
Bec, who is originally from Launceston, says she instantly fell in love with the uniqueness of the Georgian building and its landscaping, which felt like a ‘private paradise’ with mature trees and ‘lots of secret gardens.’
‘Historical homes have an undeniable allure, narrating tales from days of bygone eras and preserving the weight of history in their very walls,’ she adds.
‘The focus was on preserving the historical structures by repairing and conserving, but I didn’t want the house to feel like a museum.’
While structural changes were kept to a minimum, the interiors have been revamped with help from interior decorator and stylist Belle Hemming Bright. All the carpets were removed to reveal the rustic 180-year-old Tasmania Oak timber boards, which were repaired and retained all their imperfections to become the ‘hero’ feature of the house.
‘Belle encouraged us to use colour, which was common in grand Georgian Houses, a sign of prosperity,’ Bec says.
‘We chose muted colours inspired from nature and the surrounding gardens. So many beautiful shades of green were used: botanist green, French green, aloe green. Not only on the walls, but many ceilings and skirting boards too. I love the painted ceilings, they evoke a feeling of tranquillity and simplicity.’
The new floral wallpapers (installed after peeling back more than 10 layers of old wallpapers!) were also inspired by the blooming hydrangeas, camellias and smokebush growing in the mature gardens.
Inside, Belle has brought out Beulah House’s old-world charm with ‘fabulous vintage pieces’ collected from stores across Tasmania and Melbourne. These are styled alongside more personal objects like English teacups, glassware, crystal, and an armchair from Bec’s own grandmother as a sentimental finishing touch.
‘Each item has a story to tell,’ she says. In fact, their extended family and Bec’s late-dad also worked with the couple on the restoration of the property — making the painstaking restoration a true labour of love.
‘I like all the rooms for different reasons, but probably my favourite is my green bedroom which has a view from the second floor out to the magnificent old magnolia grandiflora tree. It is one of those rooms where you want to hibernate all day.’
Bec and David have plans to move their young family from Sydney to the six-bedroom house, but for now, the elegant abode is available as short-stay accomodation.
