Welcome to The Margot
Described as an ‘ode to the sea’, this heritage South Australian cottage has been transformed by sister duo Stacey and Courtney.
What’s the history of this building?
Stacey: This weathered beauty has witnessed the passage of time. She dates back to the era of horse-drawn carts – initially built over a century and a half ago as The Stables to the former Simms family home, now demolished. The date of construction is unknown, but it’s estimated to be between 1870-1878.
William Knox Simms was a brewer, businessman and politician – a prominent resident of Glenelg and South Australia. The size of the stable and coach house highlights his stature and at his time of passing, his estate was valued at over $500 million in modern Australian currency. Today, the stable and its living quarters are divided into two separate dwellings.
Being heritage listed, the exterior’s history is to be preserved. Belonging to our neighbours, the stable was transformed into a garage with bedrooms on the upper level and the addition of a modern extension to the front. The original stable hand’s lodgings, now its own little cottage, was to become ours. There is a rear laneway, still, that would have originally been used to service properties by horse and cart – the history is rich in this little pocket of Glenelg.
How did the idea of turning the cottage into accommodation come about?
Stacey: My sister and I have dreamed of working together since we were kids. What that looked like and in what capacity, we never really knew. We would talk about different ideas, but nothing ever eventuated.
I was in Tasmania, staying at the iconic Captains Rest in June of 2021, when the idea to hostvcame about. It was a trip that was postponed due to Covid, but finally, I was in my own dream come true. I remember it was dark and raining in the early hours of the morning; awake, I drew a bath. I recalled how I’d longed to be there for years… then I had a lightbulb moment – maybe I could do this, too? Then I also remembered that Sarah Andrews, who owns Captains Rest, runs a course that teaches you how to host an Airbnb. I texted Courtney straight away, ‘let’s open an Airbnb?’ to which she replied ‘YES!’
It suddenly made complete and perfect sense; we don’t know how we didn’t think of it sooner.
Photography by @sarahrosiecastle
“With a deep love for travel, design, art, beautiful interiors and all the little luxuries that make for an extra special stay, we knew it was the right dream to chase.”
We moved around a lot when we were kids, growing up in the USA. Every house we moved to, our mum made it feel like home with all her knick-knacks telling our family story. It allowed us to instantly settle and feel safe as young girls moving from house to house, town to town. We have carried the same principles into our homes as we have moved away and started our own families. This was our chance to create our own dream space, somewhere we would like to escape to – and then to invite others to come and stay.
With a deep love for travel, design, art, beautiful interiors and all the little luxuries that make for an extra special stay, we knew it was the right dream to chase. But first, we had to find a house! All we knew is it had to be by the sea – we both have a deep love for the ocean; and so we began our search!
How long has the cottage been known as The Margot?
We welcomed our first guests to The Margot on January 20th of this year – the day after I had my baby girl, Koda. It is still completely crazy to look back and recall those few weeks before I gave birth. I finished up at my full-time job on maternity leave, but ended up working 12-hour days trying to get everything perfect and ready to welcome our first guests. I felt as though I had two babies that week!
It’s constantly evolving, though – we are always searching for new treasures, moving things around and we love to change up the products we feature.
“We wanted it to feel like you were uncovering a pearl inside an oyster as you open the door.”
What inspired the interior design?
Our interior is inspired by history that dates back long before she was built.
Our coastline once thrived with natural shellfish reefs. Oysters were in abundance before European settlers arrived and dredged up all there was. We drew parallels to this little house – secluded and hidden, with a gate first to be shucked wide open. Four walls, like a shell with hundreds of years of tales to tell, harbouring a true rarity inside. We wanted it to feel like you were uncovering a pearl inside an oyster as you open the door.
We lightened the walls, whitewashed the floorboards and introduced accents of gold, brass and iridescent shell that shimmers in the sunlight. We wanted to create a space that felt soft, delicate, and truly beautiful; nurturing and intimate – a feminine space that evokes the kind of calm and wonder that only the ocean can. It’s like an ode to the sea.
Just as we hoped, it feels magical arriving. The clam shell gate marks the spot. Hidden down a lane and nestled in complete privacy behind neighbouring homes is the sweetest courtyard, enveloped by a gorgeous heritage facade of classic red brick and masonry stone. Rich in character and ravishing in old world charm, housing a dreamy haven inside. ‘Margot’ is her name – a name that echoes natural beauty and elegance; name that means ‘pearl’.
What has the process been to bring it all to life?
It’s been pretty special. I started Sarah Andrews’ ‘The Hosting Masterclass’ before we bought the property – this was a really important part of the process as it helped us to decide what and where we were looking for. Once we found the house, the course became a really intense creative journey for me. It’s this part of me that had been dormant for far too long, then all of a sudden I was drawing, writing short stories, playing word association games – it was like a fire was reignited and I felt so alive. It was fun, imaginative and exploratory; all the things that brought the dream to life.
Then a few months after buying the house and committing, we both unexpectedly fell pregnant. This threw a spanner in the works, for sure! It’s brought our whole family together. We have all had to pitch in. Our dad takes care of our secret little courtyard, sweeping and washing down every inch and caring for the plants. Our mum works her magic on the linen – soft and freshly scented with the perfect crinkle, you’ll want to dive right into bed and never leave. Courtney has a house full of boys, making her the faster and better cleaner – every inch sparkles and smells so, so good. I run the socials and all guest communication and roll through for all the meticulous finishing touches, including a little welcome note. The joke is, you wouldn’t be able to read Courtney’s handwriting! It’s not just extra hands and help, it’s extra love poured into each and every stay.
Courtney’s husband, my brother in law, did the renovations. He is so talented; we gave him a brief, the idea and the story and let him create! He built some amazing original features which compliment the age and history of the house so well.
What was once just the dream of two sisters is now something we do with purpose, for our kids – to one day teach them to chase dreams of their own.
What art can guests find in the space and how do you choose the right pieces?
I absolutely love the art we have! We got really lucky – I like to think the artworks found us.
We have two special seascapes we found in a vintage store in the Adelaide Hills. They were side by side; one dark and moody, the other bright, but still a brooding sea. We had the prints cleaned up, replaced the glass and kept them in their beautiful original old frames. One is E.D. Mandon’s ‘Song of the Surf’, the other I can’t quite make out or find!
We have a collection of oyster prints by French artist Marion Guy. I had been attempting (unsuccessfully) to draw oysters, but I just happened to stumble upon Marion’s artwork online one day. They are black and white, fineline and have intricate detail – just beautiful.
We found a special piece of coral from France; so delicate and fine. We framed it to protect it and hung it high over our island bench. It’s become a gorgeous feature!
Our most precious find, we named ‘Margot’. I was running 15 minutes early to a meeting for work and the only available carpark on the street was in front of a little shop with a poster in the window saying ‘Coffee & Miscellaneous Vintage, Retro & Antique Goods’. I went in for a quick look to pass the time and inside was a counter at the front, a coffee machine, a few cakes on display and tables and chairs set amongst rooms full of crockery, old jewellery, glassware, crystal, clothing and a collection of mirrors, artwork and old photographs hung all the way to the ceiling. I looked up at the last minute to see a painting of a beautiful woman wearing nothing but pearl earrings, hanging high above the doorway leading to the back room. The shop closed down two weeks later – it was truly meant to be!
Lastly, a limited edition print of Monique Fedor’s ‘Searching for solace in the sea’. This one speaks for itself – even its name makes it the perfect work of art to sit above our dressing table. The painting is of a woman standing on the shore of a breezy ocean, her dress and hair dancing with the wind, and she holds up a lantern. It hangs in a sweet little corner to sit and have your morning coffee and get ready for the day; to look in the mirror and search for solace within yourself.
What is your favourite spot at The Margot?
For me, it would have to be the bedroom. There are so many elements that make this room special. The bedhead is my favourite feature; we drove 1.5 hours each way to pick this one up! It’s so beautiful and we chose a low frame to make the ceiling feel even higher. We call it ‘the bed of dreams’ – you can't help but melt into your comfort, wrapped in soft layers of linens on the most divine mattress with plush king-size pillows. It’s grand and luxurious, framed by two pendant lights that gently sway and twinkle, like hundreds of candles are lit and their flames are flickering in a soft breeze. There’s a beautiful, old wardrobe and gorgeous arch bay windows, left uncovered so the morning hues can creep in, beckoning you to the sea.
Being an old home, we have some windows that are quite small. This is one of the features I love, too. Another parallel to the sea, they remind me of port holes – like you are safe inside and hidden away from the world, if you want to be.
Glenelg, South Australia
