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.

I grew 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, Maxim, and Nicko and four precious little grandchildren.

I purchased the property in Esperance, almost six 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.

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. 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 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!

Sonia’s favourite Esperance picks!

• 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_ 

STORY: Sonia Siemer IMAGES: Lucy Vincent

Want more? Click here for Tour Eton Beach House, located in Tasmania’s Great Oyster Bay