Stay | The Old Clarence Brewery

Slow mornings have a distinct charm that can provide us the opportunity to savour little moments; there is a certain satisfaction in taking the time to enjoy historic beauty at a slow pace. For this Stay we visited The Old Clarence Brewery in Maclean, Northern NSW, where we sipped coffee with owners, Romy Brooks-Bennie and Brad Smith, admired old world architecture and savoured the joy of sweet ice cream after a day of simple exploring.

SHOP THE LOOK

1/ Mariana Made-to-Order Rug 2/ Monte #21 Lumbar Cushion|Rust & Sand 3/ QOM’ #0187 Textile 4/ Litoral Palm Basket 5/ Forma #2 Made-to-Order Runner 6/ Monte #20 XL Lumbar Cushion 7/ Mini Andes|Sol 8/ Porteño Weekender | Chocolate

Tell us the story behind The Old Clarence Brewery and what drew you to this project:

I have always had a love for historic architecture and historic homes with their old worldly charm. I found and fell in love with The Brewery that became available a couple of years ago, my mother purchased half of the property and about 8 months later my partner and I had the opportunity to purchase the other half. One of my favourite parts was pulling down the black Colorbond fence that had been put up in the backyard to then expose the beautiful custom made wrought iron fence. Although they are two seperate residences, it has been so beautiful to unite the two properties once again. It feels really special to be able to share with the world such a unique piece of history.

What are your favourite spots in the area?

The adventures are endless in this region. Angourie is an old time favourite, we love the wildflowers on the headland throughout the year. Brooms head; snorkelling at high tide, followed by an ice cream from the general store before driving home wide eyed searching for one of the elusive resident Emu’s. Ulmurra is another favourite, the pub has a beautiful big fireplace lit during winter and you can get lost in the antique shops searching for treasures.

What drew you to the Pampa pieces you have chosen for your space?

We love the muted tones and natural fibres in all of the Pampa range, the rugs invite a warmth to the hardwood original floorboards. The earthy colour ways of the cushions compliment the convict crafted, exposed 18th century sandstone and brick work throughout the house. The Wishlist is endless!

Tell us your perfect day spent at The Old Clarence Brewery:

Awaking after a cosy slumber to a slow morning drinking tea and coffee in bed or amongst the morning bird song in the garden, breakfast at Beachwood cafe in Yamba, a swim at one of our many favourite swimming spots and a forage amongst the rock pools. A long late picnic in the backyard followed by a stroll down to the beautiful Clarence river for sunset, perhaps even wetting a line.

Which is your favourite room in the house and why?

That’s a hard one! Brad loves the kitchen naturally as a chef, which works well for me. It has a rustic charm, we love eating with our friends and family in the garden so many moments are spent preparing food in this space. For me, I love the back double bedroom, it is filled with natural light over looking the Poinciana tree, I love an afternoon siesta and when you wake here you feel as if you are in the tree’s canopy. We have a lot of birds visiting us and their chatter among the trees is very calming.

Tell us your vision and creative drive for the interiors of your stay.

Minimal, warm, neutral and rustic ~ Whilst I like the Victorian era we are definitely leaning more into the country farmhouse feel. We are inspired by the personality of unique antique pieces and the charm they bring to the room.

BOOK YOUR STAY

Produced by Wave Lachish and Thea Blocksidge