HISTORIC HAVEN

Warm the heart and mind with a trip back in time to Taroona’s gorgeous landmark property Winmarleigh Lodge and Stables.

JARRAD BEVAN

WHEN Marta Dusseldorp, Ben Winspear and their children moved to Hobart a few years ago, the family’s entry into the Apple Isle way of life was a 1800s-built home at Taroona.

The family made the house warm and cosy, and have found it to be a well of creativity with abundant space to stretch out.

Dusseldorp said historic homes had a unique appeal.

“There is something about them, the way they are a living structure with story embedded in the walls,” she said.

“There is a poise, an attitude, that is about security and nurturing.

“The sandstone of the building is calming and soothing and visceral.”

Set in Morris Avenue, Tudor Revival-style home Winmarleigh Lodge and Stables is an icon in the Taroona landscape.

With its half-timbered high gables, the home is clearly visible from the Channel Highway, however, its setting is one of tranquil privacy nestled behind hedges and established trees.

Originally built in 1888 on the Winmarleigh estate to house the coach, horses and the coachman/gatekeeper, the building was transformed some 40 years later to a residence for the son of the owner, his wife and four boys.

Through its renovations over the years, the carriage house, stables and tack room have been converted into living areas, while the spacious loft became the master bedroom.

When the Dusseldorp-Winspear family first discovered the property, the “amount of dreaming space” created huge appeal.

The opportunity it presented for them to grow was eye-catching as they had never imagined that “we would have that much room to express ourselves”.

It also offered a fantastic lifestyle for their children.

“We wanted to give our children the chance to grow up here because it is such a beautiful nurturing place and this home reflected that,” Dusseldorp said.

“It is a great house to dream in.

“And a house where you can believe anything is possible. We are sad to let it go.”

Built of solid brick with sandstone details, many of the home’s original features have been maintained including the lifting mechanism for the loft, original fireplaces and the decorative louvred turret.