Fairweather – A Magical Escape on Bruny Island
A stylist’s century-old shack on Bruny Island, Fairweather is a remote refuge with a pared-back, Shaker-like simplicity that pays homage to the rawness and serenity its coastal landscape.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos LISA COHEN Interior Decorator & Stylist TESS NEWMAN-MORRIS
The interior palette is guided by natural materials and a philosophy of gentle living.
‘Fairweather is a place for awe. Whether it’s gazing at the sparkling sea, watching the sea eagle soar overhead, dolphins bounding through the bay, or a summer storm, it’s the kind of immersion in nature that settles and soothes us right to our core,’ shares Tess Newman-Morris.
The restoration took Tess and Jack Newman-Morris seven years to complete.
Simplicity carries through every element of the home, from its larger features to the small details.
“The location is so remote, so wild and beautiful, it felt false trying to compete in any way. The interiors needed to entirely honour the place.”
‘I simply wanted the house to feel calm and comfortable enough to hold us, shelter us, while we experience this magical place,’ shares Tess Newman-Morris.
‘I need to be surrounded by natural materials, I need smooth timber, old stone and natural fabric.’
‘The interiors needed to entirely honour the place. Less is more and the shack has ended up being super simple so that your eye can be at ease.’
‘I love creating colour rich spaces for my interior clients, but a home space for me is fairly neutral – a layering of off white, taupe, caramel, dusty nudes and some dark blues.’
Fairweather’s pared-back interiors are grounded in natural materials, from beeswaxed timber joinery and floors to low-VOC paint and natural-fibre fabrics.
‘Time feels different there, like the rest of the world is on pause.’
Many of the furniture items at Fairweather are collected vintage pieces.
‘The feeling you get from a remote location like this is addictive, nature is king and reverence comes easily.’
‘We stripped a lot back, luckily there were some good bones like some hardwood timber floors, baltic pine lining boards and bark covered ceiling beams. We put in larger salvaged windows and French doors for greater connection with the outdoors.’
Set on the southern tip of Bruny Island, in Tasmania, above the waters of Little Taylors Bay, Fairweather is a century-old timber shack shaped by its raw, remote setting and the slower pace of life on the island.
Tucked beyond a private track that winds through the garden to the bay below, it’s a place for long days by the water, reading beside the fire and stepping outside with a slow morning coffee.
Interior stylist and creative Tess and Jack Newman-Morris first came to this part of Tasmania while Tess was working on the interiors of nearby Satellite Island. ‘There is something very magical about islands, a feeling of being removed from the busy world. Boarding a boat, crossing the sea towards a refuge, a different pace,’ she shares.
When Fairweather came onto the market in 2018, Tess flew down the following day. Built in 1906 and originally named Broadwater, the cottage became a seven-year project for Tess and Jack, who travelled regularly from their home in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges with their young children in tow.
Rather than overhaul the old shack, their intention was to uncover what was already there. ‘Rather than wanting to ‘renovate’ we hoped to return the shack to a simplified, authentic version of herself, more like an ‘un-renovation’.’
Brown carpet and blue lino were removed, while salvaged windows and French doors opened the cottage more fully to its surroundings. The kitchen, shelving and other elements were built by hand using reclaimed timber, with materials, floorboards, doors, windows and antique furniture transported from Victoria.
Inside, Tess pared things back further as the house evolved. Beeswaxed timber floors, sisal rugs, raw timber, linen, wool and natural bedding form a warm, neutral base, allowing the landscape beyond the windows to remain the focus.
‘The location is so remote, so wild and beautiful, it felt false trying to compete in any way. The interiors needed to entirely honour the place.’
That simplicity extends to the experience of staying here. Fairweather invites guests to settle into a place the family has spent years making their own, where days might begin on the beach below, followed by a swim, a book beside the fire or a meal shared outside, with little reason to keep track of the time.
‘Sharing the space has been a truly rewarding experience. Guests have been so appreciative of the quality, detail and aesthetic of the spaces. I’ve enjoyed hearing their stories of loving their time at the shack and of beautiful Bruny.’
