I have never stayed anywhere as tranquil as Millars by the Lake. Set deep in the karri forest of Quinninup, this sweet heritage cottage has something wonderfully calming about it.
Owned by my friend Jade and her husband Andrew for the past four years, I’ve watched from afar, through texted photos and social media, as they breathed new life into this 75-year-old house. When they finished, I was overjoyed to get to visit in real life. This house is even more beautiful in person than in photos.
It was 2020 – that year we now all associate with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic – and Jade and Andrew had been looking for a holiday house for a while. With two small children and two hectic corporate jobs in the city, they wanted somewhere peaceful they could escape and just relax as a family together, away from the bustle of city life. Ideally, they wanted a country cottage they could use for Christmases and family holidays, and let out as AirBnB accommodation other times to help cover the upkeep. Jade said they wanted a place they could pause, rest and reset. “We searched until we came across a little cottage with sturdy bones that felt like home,” she said.
It was this house – a cosy weatherboard cottage in Quinninup. I will admit, I’d never heard of Quinninup until Jade told me about it. Tucked away in the middle of the most beautiful forests and farmland, this tiny south-west town is a bit of a secret gem. The town sprang up in 1944, when a company called Millars Timber and Trading Co purchased the forest region of Quinninup to build a timber settlement. A street of workers cottages was built for the thriving timber mill and even a tiny school for the workers’ children.
One of the original heritage cottages built for the timber works, this house – which Jade and Andrew named Millars by the Lake – was home to an assortment of folks, including the school’s headmaster, an artist and the owner of the local pub. Quinninup is beautiful at every turn, but Millars by the Lake, in my opinion, might have the primo spot in the prettiest part of the town, tucked away and idyllic, with stunning views across the bushland and tall Karri tree forests.
It’s so quiet and just… still. You arrive here and feel like you can let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.
Journalist Jade, the former editor of iconic Scoop Traveller magazine and travel writer for Rebecca Judd Loves, knew what she loved – and didn’t – when it came to south west holiday accommodation. Drawing on her industry knowledge and love for interior design, she knew exactly what kind of feeling she wanted to create for her own cottage – a romantic retreat for people who wanted to feel like they could truly relax, and enjoy a simpler, slower pace.
WA’s COVID border restrictions and lockdowns challenged Jade and Andrew’s work on the house. Over the next six months they fixed up Millars, with two little kids in tow. My kids are very close in age to Jade and Andrew’s kids. All I could think was, how are they doing this renovation with two little kids – with all the restrictions the pandemic threw at us? Miss Nerd, a busy two-year-old at the time, got her hands into absolutely everything; the more dangerous, the more alluring. Jade and Andrew never seemed fazed by how kids have a natural tendency to get underfoot and drag everything out. They didn’t complain (like I totally would have), they just got it done and enjoyed it too.
They bought a bulk lot of secondhand tools for a steal, learned to refurbish the jarrah flooring on their own, and headed down to Quinninup with trailer loads of materials, Bunnings purchases and thrifted purchases. They repainted the interior (formerly painted in a fetching combination of bright purple, yellow and various blue hues) in a palette of whites and earthy tones that perfectly complement the local landscape. To save money on renovating and reduce waste, they refurbished and reused as much as they could from what was already in the cottage, but updating the décor to give the classic layered, collected look they wanted.
Jade found secondhand and vintage pieces through Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree. An old hutch was a generational piece from a family in Kensington, finding its perfect home in Millars. A vintage decanter on the hutch was a family piece, from Jade’s nanna and granddad. (Eagles eyes might spot our old tea chest bedside – which looks perfect in the main bedroom – and my old vintage suitcase which looks like it was made for Millars!) A skirt beneath the kitchen sink adds rustic charm, complementing the stained glass window and sloping ceiling. Everything is pretty, with cute details – even the toilet!
A potbelly fire keeps the whole house toasty, the beds are super comfortable, with the softest linens, the lovely kitchen is a great size, and there’s a bath in the back garden, where you can soak and admire the incredible night sky (we spotted shooting stars).
I just LOVE how Jade and Andrew have styled the house – I think it perfectly suits the house and the location. Go for a bushwalk and you’ll likely spot kangaroos, standing silently in the mist, or be greeted by the inquisitive local kookaburra, Kevin. Millars is the perfect cottage for a winter getaway – for being nestled snug inside by the fire while it rains.
A few minutes walk from the cottage is beautiful Karri Lake, backdropped by towering karri trees, one of the tallest hardwood species in the world. The lake is ideal for a morning run, or for bringing down a wine and a picnic blanket in the evenings. In recent years, the lake was given a pontoon; perfect for jumping off on hot summer days. In Quinninup there’s a tennis court, a pub with cheerful staff and a little oval. Pemberton is a pleasant 24 minute drive away; Manjimup 23. Mr Nerd and I went mountain biking in Pemberton, during which I stacked it (how unsurpising). After dinner in Pemberton one night (Jaspers whisky bar is lovely) we came home to the cottage and watched a movie on the very comfortable sofa.
If you are looking for a cosy, down south cottage retreat for your next adults-only evocative getaway – trust me, this should be it. You can book Millars by the Lake through Jade and Andrew’s website, on AirBnB or follow their Instagram @millarsbythelake. Maya x
