Steeped in Australian history and welcoming charm, Miss Midgley’s is a wondrous boutique hotel celebrating bygone beauty with contemporary luxuries. Its journey over the part 159 years has been diverse. Once a private home named Cairncross House a grand example of colonial architecture in Brisbane, it was then converted into an orphanage by the Sisters of Mercy by the late 1860s. After 20 years it was then a Premier’s home renamed St Clair, a private hospital, and then a home again to the Midgley family in 1903. Annie Midgley, the daughter, turned the home into a thriving private school with creativity as a focus and to support overcrowding in state schools. Its current life is now a boutique hotel reimaged by mother and daughter duo Lisa and Isabella White. Zepel and furniture designer Ross Didier were fortunate to be a part of this revitalisation.
Deluxe upholstered on 'Puffalo' lounge at Miss Midgely's
Lisa and Isabella White
Miss Midgley's
Deluxe upholstered on 'Puffalo' lounge by Ross Didier
Miss Midgley's Deluxe Home Away
Lisa and Isabella's main premise for these bespoke lodgings was to create a warm, nurturing space where time disappeared. Additionally, the integrity of the building needed to be celebrated by preserving its long legacy and grandeur. The creative duo has cleverly achieved both aims by intertwining history and comfort through modern luxuries and considered renovations to the interior and exterior. The result is 5 fully equipped apartments complete with Art Deco styling and refined features such as granite bench tops, brass fixtures, Italian porcelain tiles, deluxe curtains, artworks and the stunning Puffalo lounge.
The Puffalo exemplifies a bohemian lifestyle with its relaxed, low grounded form that ‘descends you into slow motion’.
The Puffalo exemplifies a bohemian lifestyle with its relaxed, low grounded form that ‘descends you into slow motion’.
The Puffalo designed by Ross Didier, Melbourne, is a perfect example of his unique approach to design representing his admiration for soft volumes, languid lounging, superior materials, craftsmanship, and versatility through its modular offerings. In energy the Puffalo exemplifies a bohemian lifestyle with its relaxed, low grounded form that ‘descends you into slow motion’. Ross highlights that he ‘liked the idea of having a slow and languorous feel to the range, using premium quality materials that creates the feeling of billowing cushions on the floor’. To complement the cocooning of the Puffalo’s volumed comfort is our contemporary velvet design, Deluxe.
This FibreGuard marvel is a modern take on a classic velvet, with a short, dense pile that features a subtle printed design reminiscent of a fine linen weave. Its soft, silky texture makes it a delight to handle, is inherently stain-resistant, and boasts commercial durability. This comforting design was selected in the vibrant colour, Autumn, for the Puffalo at Miss Midgley’s. A perfect combination in the light filled space creating warmth through the soft curves of the lounge and spiced infused colour.
Offering a unique home away from home with high-end comforts, a private outdoor space, gardens, pool and located in the heart of New Farm, Miss Midgley’s will delight with its playful aesthetic grounded in historic charm.
Credits:
@missmidgleys, https://www.missmidgleys.com.au/
@rossdidier, https://www.didier.com.au/
Photography: @staticidentity
