The Good Soul Cottage – Renovating for Airbnb™

Elite Appliances and Bathware is proud to showcase a tale of meticulous restoration and contemporary sophistication by Lydia Maskiell, a distinguished interior designer from Hobart. In her recent renovation of the endearing Good Soul Cottage, a heritage treasure tucked away in Launceston, Lydia has carefully curated from our diverse range to dress the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry. Her expert selections perfectly align with her vision of crafting a serene haven for Airbnb™ guests, reflecting the exceptional taste one would expect from a leading Hobart interior designer. 

The Good Soul Cottage is a beautifully restored heritage cottage (circa 1890) tucked away in the heart of Launceston. Although big in heart, the cottage is small on scale. The cottage has been designed for short-term visitor accommodation, which has a huge impact on the products that we select, as we’re looking for products that are easy to use, durable, reliable and fit in with the overall aesthetic of creating a holiday-like space.

The kitchen footprint is small, so a one-wall kitchen design was necessary as we didn’t have the luxury of space. It has been a challenge to include all the functions of a kitchen without compromising the look. The Bertazonni heritage range for the built-in oven and cooktop are the perfect addition to a transitional style, where the balance of retaining the original characteristics of the cottage and the modern conveniences of a new kitchen were hugely important. Packing so much into a small space meant that we needed to be considerate of the selection of all our appliances. We opted for more seamless and integrated options for the dishwasher and range hood. The Fisher & Paykel DishDrawers are a go-to product, as they are easy to use and reliable. The integrated option allows the appliance to blend into the cabinetry with less visual clutter, especially when you’re designing a small space where the aim is to maximise the visual size of the room. When you’re designing for short-term visitor accommodation, it’s important to consider how the guest will use the space and what things may hinder their experience, so things like reducing annoyances such as loud appliances are a priority when selecting products. We used the Falmec Gruppo undermount range hood as it is known for its noise reduction system. The undermount option also gave the opportunity to design a joinery canopy that would be built around the undermount rangehood. We used the same material as the wall lining, allowing a seamless blend. This is an effective way to integrate the appliance into the cabinetry and create the illusion of more space.

The bathroom is designed to feel luxurious, with layers of texture through different materials and subtle use of colours, all elevated with gold finishes through the Phoenix tapware range. The gold tones bring a sense of warmth and class to the space. The Clifton vanity was a great option, as the line work in the cabinetry mimics the line work of the original panelling throughout the interior.

We opted for a euro-style laundry as this not only serves the function of servicing short-term visitor accommodation, but the floor plan only afforded us a very small laundry space. This has given us the opportunity to explore more efficient and compact ways to design a laundry. Bosch’s Washer Dryer combo was an obvious choice for us. The measurements fit into standard cabinetry dimensions easily, and the function of the two-in-one allows the option for a workable bench space above compared to that of a stacked washer and dryer option. No one wants to spend their holiday doing laundry, and that is why it was important for us to select a product that is not only user-friendly but allows for one efficient function with minimal inconvenience to our guests. The two-in-one appliance works well as a space saver without compromising the design and workability of the laundry hub. The guest experience is a priority to us, even down to providing a seamless laundry operation.

A big thank you to Lydia Maskiell for sharing her design tips on eliteappliances.com.au. If you have any questions about the fixtures and appliances used at the Good Soul Cottage, please contact us! 

Lydia Maskiel
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Good Soul Cottage
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