TARA LARNACH

Design by Tara Larnach, photography by me, styling by Jessica Bellef

TARA LARNACH

INTERIOR AND TEXTILE DESIGNER

Bundeena, NSW, Australia

It’s funny, when you ask Tara Larnach what she does, she says: oh nothing, I just faff around. Well… I’d love it if my faffing around was resulting in magnificent interiors, impeccable gardens, handmade chic linen curtains and sheets. Unfortunately, only Tara’s faffing yields marvels. Mine leaves a pile of dirty dishes, wet laundry and tons of cookbooks spread out on all horizontal surfaces available in my house. Research I call it… Read More

Photos I took at Simpson Cottage…

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While faffing around, as she says, Tara has turned a derelict colonial sandstone cottage into a masterpiece of beauty and comfort. Set on a hill sloping down to the beach, Simpson Cottage is a haven for those seeking peace and “me-time”.

Tara discovered the cottage on a holiday with her family and she fell madly in love with it. It was built with convict quarried stones on the 50 hectares of Crown land granted to a man called George Simpson on the southern side of the Hacking River on November 5, 1863.

Born in Ireland in 1815, he emigrated to Australia in 1840. He was the first white man to settle on this part of the Hacking where he established “a stone house, dairy, stockyards and a pig sty”. He then built a wharf in front of the property and launched a ferry service from Burraneer Bay to the cottage (which he ran from the 1880s until the 1920s). To make his European visitors feel at home, he planted European trees and introduced deer that quickly escaped their enclosure and invaded the Royal National Park where they still roam around freely. His business was going well, so he built a larger hotel in Bonnie Vale just below Simpson Cottage. It became a popular destinations for Sydneysiders, then faced a bit of a decline until it burnt down in 1955 and was never rebuilt. It held the first school in the Sutherland Shire.

This story fascinated Tara and she’s re-created Simpson Cottage as another place inviting people to have a good time. When our contemporary holiday goers, honeymooners and weekenders push the gate and start walking on the impeccable lawn, it’s time for a “whoooaa” and when they enter the coolness of the sandstone house, it’s the second “whoooaa”. Every piece of furniture, fabric, object was curated by Tara, keeping the spirit of the place alive with a modern but earthy touch. Have a look at the FULL GALLERY to see the atmosphere she creates for her guests.

When I say every little detail, it goes as far having set up a system of tokens so that guests can exchange them with local delicacies at stores and cafés nearby, making this project a real community building affair. Wine can be selected and bought from the cellar in an honesty system. In short, Tara has created a cocoon that envelops every single guest with care and love. She is one of the most generous and kind people I know. Wayyyy too humble for the achievement that is Simpson’s Cottage and the community she’s gathered around it.
I’m so glad she accepted to be part of my 30 people who make the world more beautiful and answered my questions below.

Connect with Tara and Simpson Cottage

@simpsoncottage | simpsoncottage.com.au

INTERVIEW

Simpson Cottage… simply named after William Simpson and his son George who build the cottage using sandstone quarried just below the cottage.
Hornsby in Sydney, as baby my family moved to northwest NSW not far from Tamworth, where my childhood was spent in paddocks with dogs as companions and my primary school had just 7 kids.
English…I’d love to speak Italian and french
No idea, until Simpson Cottage came along. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I grew up. Now I know I want to make people feel connected, loved, and nurtured.
Bought Simpson Cottage and booked a six week to Europe.
Faff!
When I’m getting the cottage ready for guests and adding the last minute touches I lose all track of time and often find myself caught up in the romance of them weaving their own history into the walls, forgetting about all their worries and making memories with people they love.
It’s still to come.
I have however been empowered by deciding to stop down playing and trivialising the behaviour of a bully. So I got some legal advice and served a cease and desist order on them. That has felt like a big break of sorts.
Self doubt, imposter syndrome… I’m sure I’m not alone there. With self-conviction and as one a I know I’m staying true to what’s important to ME it’s much easier to keep chipping away.
And standing up to a bully.
Massive and integrity. I just like the word massive. And integrity? Well, imagine if everything and everybody was measured against integrity.
Community/connection, kindness/generosity and integrity…Integrity is a massive one.
Friends each one represents a moment in time whether we stay in touch long term or not, connections, ceramics, interior books, interior ideas for my dream project. (see below)
I don’t really have one but if somebody told me I couldn’t share Simpson Cottage with people to make memories and escape from the real world I’d be heart broken, making a place where people come to escape and spend time doing something they love with people they love is the greatest gift.
My mum's spaghetti and meat balls -there nothing like the familiar flavour of your childhood.
I have read a great one for a while but I did love Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. I never watch anything before I read the book.
YouTube videos on Prague, Budapest and Morocco. We’re off to Europe in a few days and I’m busy soaking up all the anticipation by getting tips about things to do and see and the culture differences. The anticipation and lead is all part of the journey.
I’m not a fan of the cinema…the inescapable visuals and audio is more than I can cope with; then there’s the emotional roller coaster. I will nearly always be folding washing or knitting or something else when I watch films at home.
I don’t really have a favourite, I like silence so I tend not to spend a lot time with music playing.
Jennifer Rosnel, Erika Sorby
Bondi… My husband has lived here all his life, as has his mum. We’ve lived in the same house for almost 30 years. We're far enough from the beach to be out of the chaos and get a car park, but close enough to walk. I’d spend more time at Simpson Cottage with my husband if we had the time… one day.
Building a delightful space to compliment the cottage where we can have family Christmas all together and spill out into the garden and retreat from the hot sun or wild weather. Council planning rules are making it difficult… one day.
I love creative people, I’m eternally inspired them and love seeing the world through their eyes. there’s no such thing as too many creative, wise people in your world.