The Gold Rush

A pretty Ballarat cottage became a weekender dream for keen renovators, Claire and Richard Tinker.

Claire and Richard Tinker love to renovate. It was this passion that led them to their Ballarat weekender, Goldies. The family, including their three young children, Poppy, Georgina, and Harry, wanted a home they could renovate to use as an escape from their busy lives in Melbourne, as well as to rent out via Air BnB. After an exhausting 2020, the Tinkers were looking for a weekend away and, on a whim, booked a place in Ballart, a city in the Central Highlands of Victoria, known for its rich regional culture and the area where the gold rush was sparked in the 1800s. “We absolutely fell in love with the beauty and charm of Ballarat. Such gorgeous tree lined streets, beautiful old heritage houses, incredible food and walks and nature. We quickly set to task looking at houses. We missed out on a few – but Richard drove up one day for a viewing, walked into this house and said, ‘it’s the one’, and the deal was done. I think the state of the house put a lot of people off, but this was completely what we were looking for, something we could design ourselves.”

Goldies is Claire and Richard’s fourth renovation “I do the design, planning, budgeting and Richard is really handy. He’s a great painter too. We try and do everything we can ourselves and then call in the trades for everything else.” The couple also bought experience and skills from their respective careers – Richard, being a project manager and Claire, an executive assistant who had also studied civil engineering and interior design. With these combined skills, the couple purchased the home in June 2021 and began renovating straightaway. “The house was completely gutted inside, not even doors or skirting boards. The back had a lean-to which was basically falling over. There was no toilet inside either! We moved some walls to make the bathroom bigger and so we could fit a toilet in the house. We rebuilt the back lean-to area from the stumps up. We couldn’t wait to sand the old, blackened timber boards to see how they came up, the Baltic pine was light and beautiful underneath. I would never cover those in a million years – they have such character and bring so much warmth into the house.”

When the couple bought the property, the original brickwork was covered by 1970s vinyl cladding. The couple set about exposing the original brickwork and rebuilding the original hearth and repointing the brick. Ballarat can get a little chilly at times and with this in mind the couple also installed a wood burner in the main living area, ducted heating throughout and replaced all the windows with timber double glazed ones. Carpets were installed in the bedrooms for extra cosiness and warmth and the whole house fully insulated.

Claire and Richard designed the home and the garden themselves, including all styling choices. Claire says that their style choices depend on the house and the location. “We tend to be drawn to classic style. Design that won’t date and is sympathetic to the house. I like to mix some unique items to make a place more interesting.” The garden needed to be frost tolerant to survive Ballarat’s brutal winters but also able to withstand dry, hot summers. The couple planted lavender, silver birch, bay trees and pear trees, and these, combined with the already established orchard out the back, created a weather tolerant, easy to maintain garden which fitted the country cottage brief.

When describing what she loves about the home, Claire says ‘It is just so cosy and warm. You just want to slow down when you arrive. It’s the perfect getaway. The MOST comfortable beds as well (so important for an Air BnB). Beautiful French linen sheets – there’s nothing that compares. It has everything you need but is also just a beautiful, basic little cottage. The green room (or the snug) is also a little surprise. We have a record player so it’s great to have a drink and play cards while we listen to music.” Then there are all the great activities to see and do in Ballarat, “go for walks around Lake Wendouree, get coffee at Common Ground. The restaurant and food scene in Ballarat is of such a high standard. There’s always something going on in Ballarat – art exhibitions, light festivals, laneway festivals. So much to do!”

@goldiesballarat

Goldies is available for accommodation stays, visit www.goldiesballarat.com

IMAGES: @tiziamayphotography

Getting to know you – Claire Tinker

What designers inspire you?

Tamsin Johnson is just incredible. I love the way she mixes antique fittings and furniture through her designs. Every single space is so considered.

Matt Martino cannot put a foot wrong – I want him to design a coastal house for us one day.

Favourite places to eat and shop in your region?

Shop – Fossick Wares, The Foundry and Vintage 216

Eat – Common Ground, Johnny Alloo, Carboni’s Italian, Ragazzone, Pancho, Meigas and Moon & Mountain. Underbar is a 16-seat restaurant (if you can get a booking!) – chef is from ex three-Michelin starred restaurant in New York.

Drink – Roy Hammond and Renard.

Favourite pieces in your home?

Artwork can completely transform a house. I love an eclectic mix of artwork. I would never buy to ‘match’ interiors. I think whatever interests you and makes you stop, and look is going to have the same effect on others.

My three favourites in the house are:

The Merc or the Moke – photographer Stuart Cantor

Eucalyptus – photographer Kara Roselund

Aldo – photographer Giovanna Aryafar

Biggest splurge?

Artwork!

Greatest budget buy or budget decorating tip?

Our greatest budget buy was the kitchen. I found the kitchen on marketplace in Mt Eliza. Richard and my brother-in-law hired a truck and drove to Mt Eliza to dismantle and collect it, drove it to Ballarat and our builder installed it. It was millimetre perfect! And then we painted it and it just looks perfect. Not bad for $500!