Blackbird Cottage
Overview
Built circa 1878, Blackbird Cottage is a beautifully preserved slice of history in Cygnet, Tasmania. Owners Lindy and Gavin have lovingly stripped back, preserved and restored the home’s historical features – often with their own bare hands – to create a traditional Australian cottage and garden that befits both them and their peep of chickens.
The task with Blackbird Cottage was to restore with reverence, “The original structure is built from solid blackwood timber, which is likely why it has stood the test of time,” says Lindy. “It required a complete overhaul to make it liveable, but our philosophy was simple: to honour the past while bringing the home into the present. We aimed to retain as many original features as possible, replacing only when necessary.”
The Victorian building is typical of the period, “Square in design, with a symmetrical façade, convex verandah, and a lean-to addition at the back,” describes Lindy. During the renovation, the couple lived on the property in order to absorb its history, cooking out of the shed and using a makeshift bathroom. Upon finding an empty blackbird nest above the front door, they christened the house with its new name.
Many aspects of the project were completed by Lindy and Gavin, “To stay on budget and get the restoration completed quickly, we took on the smaller jobs ourselves, hiring tradies for the more skilled work and larger building elements,” she says. “I project managed and was on site every day, tackling the demolition, painting, wallpaper stripping, and hanging. Learning to restore old windows was a new skill.”
To ensure a sense of authenticity, the first thing you see upon entering Blackbird Cottage is TradCo hardware, with the front door fitted out with the Edwardian Knocker and Milled Edge Door Knob in Polished Brass externally, and the Carpenters Lock and Milled Edge Door Knob in Polished Brass internally. “The original doors still swung on iron hinges and retained their rim locks and porcelain knobs,” states Lindy, “so naturally, any replacements had to feel as though they’d always been here.”
The windows, too, were newly bedecked with TradCo fittings, Sash Lifts in Antique Brass, Sash Drops in Antique Brass and Narrow Sash Fasteners in Antique Brass. “The original windows had never had locks or lifts – they were secured with a metal pin,” Lindy reveals, “and while researching the smallest, narrowest ones I could find, TradCo popped up. I knew it was exactly what we needed.”
The use of TradCo hardware wasn’t restricted to the openings, “TradCo’s range of traditional architectural hardware became a staple in the renovation, blending seamlessly with the original fittings,” she says.
The light switches are particular highlights, with the Traditional Switches in Antique Brass on Classic Profile Switch Blocks in Cedar, and Flat Plate Toggle Switches in Antique Brass giving the sense – not to mention the tactile impression – that they had been here since the 19th century. This is heightened in the bedrooms, where Morris & Co and Boråstapeter wallpapers make it feel as if you’re waking up in a bygone era.
Although most of the original Victorian house was retained, the kitchen and bathroom lean-to was non-compliant, and so had to be demolished and rebuilt. A traditional aesthetic, though, remained paramount to Lindy and Gavin, and so the new freestanding kitchen was made up from eclectic pieces found locally and online, “I love mixing high-end pieces with more economical finds,” says Lindy. “I found a mid-range apron sink and had it installed in front of the new sash windows to maximise the bay views.
The dishwasher cabinetry was custom-built by a friend to resemble old flour bins, and TradCo’s Porcelain Cabinet Pull Handles in Antique Brass provided the perfect finishing touch.” The bathroom reiterates the age of this Victorian home, with the Classic Flush Pull in Antique Copper, Crazed Porcelain Cupboard Knobs and Offset Banded Cabinet Pulls in Antique Brass speckling the space.
Outside, the couple’s chickens roam free in a garden that Gavin set his mind to as soon as keys were exchanged, so that by the time they moved in, it was already lush, green and somewhat mature – a natural testament to the age of the house itself.
“Restoration isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about respect,” says Lindy. “We made decisions slowly, room by room, choosing to live in unfinished spaces so we could observe how the light fell and what truly needed to be added. The result is a home that feels layered and lived-in, with each detail – including the TradCo fittings – reinforcing the idea that beauty is found in the enduring and the thoughtfully chosen.”
