Purchased by new owners in 2017 and redesigned by Taylor + Hinds Architects, this small four-room Georgian cottage was in a state of dilapidation and was at risk of ruin.

Through a program of careful restoration and repair, the exterior was reconditioned and a series of judicious erasures of the accumulated layers of building-fabric was made in order to uncover the original Georgian aspirations of the interior. The tendencies of the Van Diemonian Georgian are peculiar; there is an underlying sense of subtlety and delicacy, which is also economic and purposeful. The generations of families who previously occupied this house over two centuries were blacksmiths, carpenters and pastoralists. Their memory is recast in the new work through a series of finely crafted insertions, which provide contemporary amenity and create a delicate scaffold to the rooms.

“The design and restoration of Bozen’s cottage has given us a greatly valued country retreat. We gained the satisfaction of saving a historically significant building from imminent ruin and creating a remarkable home held in high esteem locally and more widely. We have gained new friendships within the Oatlands’ community and established ourselves as respected contributors to the heritage value of the township. Bozen’s cottage is where we relax, eat in front of a roaring fire, laze with a book, potter in the garden and indulge in hobbies and creative pursuits. The cottage gives us solace, enchantment and joy.”