Law and order: Turning a Queensland courthouse into a home
RENOVATING THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE NEXT DOOR HAS BEEN A FAMILY AFFAIR FOR THE PENTONS OF MERINGANDAN.
THERE’S ALWAYS A MOMENT during a renovation when you wonder if the hard work will ever pay off. For Kirstie Penton, that moment came while she was high on a scaffold with her younger brother, Andrew, and father, Geoff, ripping down pieces of the old ceiling from the Meringandan Courthouse, dust falling down on them. “I had goggles on but my face was black,” Kirstie says with a laugh. “You don’t really know what you’re going to find, but it was even better than we imagined.”
Eighteen months on, when Kirstie enters that room of the former courthouse about 20 kilometres north-west of Toowoomba, it’s the exposed beams and high-pitched ceiling — previously hidden — that captures her attention. “Every time I walk in, I take a deep breath and have an ‘a-ha’ moment,” the 24-year-old says. “It was definitely a family effort and we’ve really worked hard for what it looks like now.”
Kirstie’s parents, Cathy and Geoff, purchased the courthouse, which neighbours their 1880s railway cottage in the small country town, 11 years ago.
“We were worried someone would buy it and knock it down as it was in really bad disrepair,” says Cathy. “We didn’t really have the money at the time but we thought why not? We knew it could be beautiful again.”
Once part of Gowrie Station, the Meringandan area was resumed and opened for selection in 1872. Meringandan was the first station on the railway line from Toowoomba to Cabarlah and the Cabarlah Courthouse was shifted to Meringandan early last century as the farming area grew.
The Pentons put tenants into the adjoining living area of the courthouse, once the police officers’ quarters, and initially used the large open court room for storage. When Kirstie, who works in Toowoomba as a senior academic program support officer at the University of Southern Queensland, decided to move back home, it was the perfect opportunity to focus on the room, which measures eight by four and a half metres. “We knew it was going to be Kirstie’s apartment so we wanted to restore it to its former glory,” says Cathy, who >
makes charms and embroidered cushions from her studio in the railway cottage under the label Cathy Penton Atelier.
After re-roofing and restumping the building and removing the low ceiling, Cathy, Geoff, Andrew and Kirstie painted the walls in Dulux’s Antique White USA and sanded the painted hoop pine floor, before sealing it with Woca oil.
“I remember sitting on the floor with a chisel trying to get the red shiny stain out of the grooves,” Kirstie says. “It did not want to budge and there were some days you wish you could blink your eyes and it would be done. My love is the painting, not so much the prep work!”
Kirstie and Geoff found a thick timber board at a salvage yard in Toowoomba, which they had planed in half and sanded then installed as shelving in the kitchen. Geoff, who is the chief executive officer for the Queensland Murray-darling Committee, enjoys woodwork in his spare time and also built the vanity in the bathroom, which is tucked behind the low wall of the kitchen.
Cathy and Kirstie selected handless cabinetry, stone benchtops and a butler’s sink from IKEA to create a sleek look for the kitchen, where Kirstie displays her collected ceramic ware. With a shared love of decorating, the mother and daughter duo enjoy shifting things around and bouncing ideas off each other. “It’s minimal but with warmth,” says Cathy. “Kirstie likes to put a bit more new in while I tend to use what I have and build on that... she has a great eye.”
Kirstie has used pallets as a base for her bed, which makes good use of the space and allows a view over the open living area. “It looks cool and doesn’t cost anything,” she says.
With the interior complete, Cathy chose Dulux matte black for the exterior and planted a rosemary hedge around its perimeter. Kirstie moved in to the courthouse one year ago and regularly strolls up the hill, past their pet sheep and the rolling farmland to the west, to her parent’s house for a shared dinner. Andrew, who is studying a physics degree two hours away in Brisbane, gets home as much as possible. “Because Geoff travels so much, Kirstie and I often watch a show together or have dinner. My daughter is one of my closest friends in the world,” says Cathy.
Kirstie now has the renovators’ bug and is already thinking of her next project. “I think this is amazing and I’m saving up to find another old place that needs some love in the future to keep it going. How incredible that my parents were able to do this for me, it’s very special.” Visit cathypentonatelier.bigcartel.com for more information.