SUMMER DAYS Renovators, Cindy and Dan Mead share their top tips when building a pool and outdoor area.

The Stockman’s Crib

Sonia Siemer, the owner of Stockman’s Crib, talks to ele HOME about the old worker’s cottage she has transformed into a warm and welcoming holiday rental in Esperance, Western Australia. STORY: Sonia Siemer IMAGES: Lucy Vincent

Sonia painted the interior in a custom soft warm white she made herself. A good alternative is Dulux White Dune.

Igrew up on a farm in a little town called Grass Patch, 100 kilometres north of Esperance, in a caravan at the end of a shed. I have farmed all my life and love the wide-open spaces and being connected to the earth. I have three children - Dimity (29), Maxim (27), and Nicko (18) and four precious little grandchildren.

I purchased the property in Esperance, almost three years ago. It was a little asbestos cottage with mustard walls and Norfolk pines kissing the front door. It was important to me to find a place that had character and history. I had been looking for a property for some time that had a story and needed some love. My passion truly lies in bringing life to places once loved and that have fallen by the wayside, I can see their potential and it really ignites a spark to bring them back to their glory days in a way that maybe someone else hadn’t seen and to inspire others to not be afraid to restore rather than demolish.

I reclad the outside and returned the house to its original layout more in line with its humble beginnings in 1897. The kitchen and bathroom were updated and put back in the original format, complimenting the era of the building. It was really important to me to retain as much of the original building as possible, especially considering there are so few in Esperance. I repurposed all the doors and as much timber as possible but just in new ways.

The old garage and workshop became the new dining room/champagne house, and it is one of my favourite spaces. I had local craftsmen make the timber doors and a blacksmith custom make the door hinges and hardware. I feel very fortunate to honour these timeless crafts in a modern way, this is always at the forefront when

I am renovating as it fills my heart with such joy being the custodian of another’s craft and passion.

This house was built by a gentleman George Doust who was a stockman for a local pioneering family, the Dempsters. The

Dempsters had a grand house up the hill and a wool shed on the ocean front just around the corner, where George shore the sheep in the wool shed and loaded the wool bales onto the sailing ships.

He was a shepherd to the boss’s flock and a husband to Katherine and father to 12 children! George’s story pulls a heart string for me as I have a love of the land and the ocean and early Australian architecture, especially workers cottages. It felt like our paths had aligned and I am very grateful to now be the custodian of this sweet little cottage that is a little farm in the middle of town.

Carefully curated vintage finds add a personal and cosy feel to the home. Sonia loves including vintage art pieces in her home such as portraits of unknown ladies and gentlemen, or still life pieces, especially old-world roses.

The exterior of the cottage is painted in Dulux Surf Mist half.

I don’t have a background in design just a joy that is sparked by removing old layers and letting a house shine with a bit of a helping hand! I find in my travels I am always drawn to the early Australian workers homes be they pastoralists, miners, or townsfolk, we always end up finding each other and something passes between us. I don’t think I could live in a shiny new house I need those rich textures and the stories that lie within those walls to feel content.

My style is always about storytelling, telling the story of the adventures I have, and the treasures collected along the way be it furniture or nature’s gifts, or even a modern unique piece anything that really is unique appeals. I love to marry all these things together, I have a deep appreciation for many styles but seem to always be drawn to wares that have texture, a patina or story.

I like many elements of my house, but I love how the two buildings come together connected with the courtyard that feels very French and gives a nod to the French explorers who sailed into the Recherche Archipelago. I also love that there is almost a mini farm feel with chickens, vegetables and orchard and a picking garden for flowers to fill the house, it creates a sense of nostalgia. It’s really the feeling of home I love the most.

I designed and made all the decisions for the interior and exterior, I was very fortunate to have a great local builder, Jimmy of JMAC Building, who is just as passionate about building interesting spaces and has a true creative flair. It allowed me to be hands on with Stockman’s Crib from the beginning to the end. It was important for me to be involved as that is what I love the most about a project and being able to get a real sense of what the house needs next.

Gardening is one of my other loves and I can’t imagine not ever having a garden. To align with the story of the early days at Stockman’s Crib, I really wanted to expand on the story of those humble beginnings. I imagine that being as self-sufficient as possible was a mainstay of life, hence a vegetable garden with an orchard and chickens for eggs too bake and to feed the scraps. It was also important to have roses and cottage flowers to pick and fill the house. I know as a child making cubby houses out in the bush, a vase of flowers was always the most practical but most beautiful way to decorate a space, and it still feels this way now for me. I have also included hedges of olives and Japanese box and an espalier jasmine that fills the street with its heady scent, and always a Wisteria to welcome you as you enter the front gate. The garden is a romantic nod to practical and beautiful.

The best interior advice is an old one but so true, always choose what you love and it will bring you great joy. My house is full of old pieces that I have lugged around for years and can’t seem to part with, and they always fit no matter what house they live in because I genuinely love them.

My passion truly lies in bringing life to places once loved that have fallen by the wayside...”

Sonia converted the garage into a dining room/ champagne house –the perfect spot for a glass or two on a summer afternoon.

I also think the best decorating pieces come from nature, I have all these beautiful collections of seahorses, shells, eggs and bird nests displayed on pieces of driftwood or in vintage domes. I never tire of them. I also love vintage art pieces such as portraits of unknown ladies and gentlemen, or still life pieces, especially old-world roses, but I can happily throw in a modern landscape or rural scene. I always know the pieces meant for you will find you.

My top interior design tip is to collect pieces that speak to you and build your story around them. Keep them close to your heart as another may not see or feel what you do, at the end of the day it’s filling your dream. The designers who inspire me are the people who are quietly going about telling stories that are theirs or those of their houses and when these marry together, I think that’s where the magic happens and that is unique and inspiring!

Esperance has been the best kept secret for a long time, our isolation and vast natural beauty are incredible. I have lived here most of my life and it still takes my breath away every time I drive over the hill and see this incredible white sand and crystal blue water. It doesn’t seem like it could possibly be real, but it truly is.

Esperance is growing up and I love that our children are coming back and bringing all their talents and vision to our little town so they can have the best of both worlds to bring up their own children. I love watching how they are reinventing traditional industries like bakers, butchers, and shop keepers to provide services but also a wonderful lifestyle.

My biggest splurge and favourite piece is a beautiful Maker and Son lounge, it’s really like a fluffy cloud and the best way to unwind with a book and a glass of wine after a busy day! My greatest budget buy and budget decorating tip is I always try to look at things I have and how they can be used in a different way. For the bathroom vanity I had an old table sitting on the veranda, which I gave some TLC to and bought a piece of stone that was an off cut and popped a basin on top. It cost barely anything, and I love how it came up. I also love the outdoor dining room in the old garage, all it needed was a coat of paint, the old work bench is just as it was and the concrete floor has many stories of its own and it’s beautiful!

My favourite way to spend the day is walking across the road for a morning dip in the most incredible blue ocean, then home, opening the dining room doors and having some girlfriends over for eggs Benedict with fresh eggs from the girls in the chook house. Definitely a glass of champagne and a table filled with flowers from the garden and a day that rolls into late afternoon filled with friendship and whatever else is left in the fridge to make a grazing plate!

My favourite place to shop in town is Woven Esperance for great Australian designers. Wild Posse Mother + Child for the sweetest little outfits for my grandchildren. Downtown Espresso Bar and Cloud Eleven for coffee. Bob and Jim’s General Store for fine Aussie produce. Bread Local for delicious sourdough and pastries for picnics. Esperance Distillery Co for great local gin. Lucky Bay Brewing for great local beer and pizza. FishFace for awesome local fish and chips. Taylor St Quarters for a cocktail and dinner looking over the bay.

@stockmanscrib stockmanscrib.com IMAGES: @lovechilds_

Summer Days

One of the great Aussie dreams is a backyard pool, especially if you live in our northern states. ele HOME chats to Cindy and Dan Mead, experienced home renovators, who have turned their Brisbane backyard into a resort style oasis. IMAGES: Villa Styling

Dulux Aqua Frost Half

Dulux Lexicon Quarter Dulux Beige Imp

Cindy and Dan designed the pool themselves and had it custom built. They also designed and made the daybed. The couple used Dulux Lexicon Quarter, a cool white, to paint both the interior and exterior of their home – weatherboard is from Bunnings. Heliconias line the pool adding a tropical, relaxed feel. Pots are from Kira and Kira and The Balcony Garden.

The sunken fireplace is a showstopper. The couple installed the Barbeques Galore Maxiheat Rustic Firepit to make the most of the area during Brisbane winters.

Tell us a bit about yourselves? Dan and I are high-school sweethearts, who have been renovating houses and flipping them for the last eight years. We are both 35 years old, based in Brisbane and we have a serious passion for DIY renovations, styling and sharing our journey and “how-to’s” with our followers on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook. Currently onto house number three, in our spare time on the weekends we are renovating a 1940’s Queenslander in a modern coastal theme, with hints of the Amalfi Coast in our styling.

Do you both have design/ building backgrounds? How did you get into design? We don’t have any design qualifications and our three home renovations to date have all been self-taught and completed on our weekends. During the week, I work as a senior human resource business partner for a global recruitment company and Dan is a project manager for a commercial glazing business. Dan has glazing trade qualification which comes in handy whenever we need to install windows, doors, or glass.

How would you describe your signature style? Our style is what we call “Amalfi Coast inspired Coastal” We have tried to keep all the classic Queenslander features at the heart of everything we do, complimented by Italian coastal styling elements such as travertine tiles, terracotta pots, bougainvillea, olive trees, lemon trees and birds of paradise inspired by Le Sirenuse.

Any pitfalls when designing your entertaining/pool area? We had a difficult space to work with because our block is so sloped, so our pool cost a lot more than the average due to the large portion of out of ground construction required and the use of a cantilever deck. Also, because we built our pool so close to the boundary, we were unable to build timber decking all the way around our pool as it’s a fire hazard. The pool building company didn’t know about the fire hazard restriction imposed by the council, so we had to redesign all our plans mid-way through the process, which was extremely stressful. We ended up using travertine tiles instead, with timber decking at the opposite end of the pool which in the end we have preferred, so it was a blessing in disguise. What designers inspire you and where did you take inspiration from when renovating your outdoor area? We have drawn a lot of inspiration from Mon Palmer, we both absolutely adore her projects. We also follow international accounts on Instagram and are forever saving design elements from projects in the Mediterranean.

Greatest budget buy/ tip when renovating this area? This is a tough question as landscaping is so expensive! But if we had to say one thing it would be to buy your plants off Facebook marketplace. Sometimes you have to dig them out yourself, but the reward is a beautiful mature plant, for a quarter of the price. We did this for all the birds of paradise we’ve used along the fire pit and alfresco area and collected them over a period of about six months from several different sellers.

What are your top tips for designing your dream outdoor/pool area? 1.Our top tip would be firstly to ensure you have lots of space for lounging in and outside the pool. Pools are no longer just for swimming, they’re a lifestyle! So, think about long and wide benches in the pool and several day beds and sun lounges, both in an out of the sunlight so you and your visitors can be comfortable and make the most of the pool zone.

2.Secondly, it’s important to add low maintenance plants that don’t drop any foliage into or around the pool. We’ve gone for heliconia for the tropical feel and olive trees in line with our Italian coastal theme, and we avoided some of our favourite plants like bougainvillea - as tempting as it was, we didn’t want to be forever cleaning up after them. We’ve also set up an automatic irrigation system, so we don’t have to think about watering the plants.

3.Our third tip is to mix up your design elements to add more interest and depth to the zones, and to balance everything out (especially when using white outside). We’ve used a lot of white weatherboard and white concrete, but have balanced it out by incorporating natural timber, warm travertine tiles, lots of greenery, and neutral styling pieces like our beige day beds.

@reno.diary IMAGES: Villa Styling – Louise Roche @villastyling

Sun lounges from Remarkable Furniture are topped off by custom made cushions by Square Fox Design. The outdoor umbrella is from Basil Bangs.

Before

Dan built the outdoor kitchen and concrete bench himself with products from Barbeques Galore including the Ziegler and Brown Turbo Elite Built in BBQ and the Ziegler and Brown Turbo Island Fridge. To achieve the white concrete bench, Dan used Hanson’s coloured concrete in Moonscape. Olive trees line the perimeter of the garden to give the Amalfi Coast feel the couple were after.