Belinda Satterthwaite can’t help it – wreaths fashioned from vine or branches, bundles of foliage and fistfuls of feathers keep making their way into her home.
As a long-time forager, she has a knack for turning gifts from nature into art installations, and it’s these whimsical touches, paired with rustic antique furniture collected over decades, that give Hargans Cottage in the central NSW town of Carcoar its charming personality.
It’s an elegant evolution for the two-bedroom weatherboard cottage, which started its life almost a century ago as a humble home for a mechanic.
Built in 1925, the house is one of several historic buildings now in Belinda and husband Stephen’s care, including the old mechanic’s garage, where Stephen keeps his treasured vintage car and motorbike collection, and a converted 19th-century flour mill, which serves as their main living quarters.
“Tremayne Hargans was the original mechanic here and this was his cottage, where he lived,” explains Belinda, 58. “It was built on the footings of another part of the flour mill that was demolished.”
Sharing a wall with the converted mill, Hargan’s Cottage became a separate studio for the Satterthwaites’ two adult children, Tom, 26, and Molly, 24, when the family moved to the historic village four years ago.
But, when both kids flew the coop to nearby Orange last year, Belinda leapt at the chance to give the cottage an overhaul.
“Molly asked what she could take and I told her, ‘Take whatever you want, because the rest of it is going and I’m restyling the whole place,'” laughs Belinda.
The idea of refreshing an entire house might be daunting for some, but for Belinda, an experienced renovator who owns Carcoar’s famous homewares store Tomolly, it was the kind of project she thrives on.
“I’ve always been creative,” she says. “It’s just something I do – that’s just me!”
The cottage had already been updated by its previous owners with a simple stainless-steel kitchen, a modern bathroom and skylights that usher light into the darker areas.
Heritage details like the original windows and wall panelling remain, giving Belinda the kind of character-filled canvas she adores.
“We were very lucky, the majority of it was done,” she explains. “We just refreshed it all white, changed the blinds and painted the timber floors black, and added a wood fire.”
With those base elements in place, Belinda embraced giving the cottage her signature modern country look, with honey-hued timber furniture, layers of linen and foliage from the garden, which is rich with apple, plum, pepper and fig trees.
“I like earthy tones and I love lots of textures,” Belinda explains. “I’m often out foraging things and I love a lot of dry things as well. I’m quite minimal though, I don’t like miles of stuff.”
The furniture is a mix of pieces from her carefully curated shop, like the soft slip-covered sofas and vintage-style beds, alongside rustic finds she’s picked up over the years.
“I’ve collected old bits and pieces forever,” Belinda says. “Sometimes from the tip! Some things stay, some things don’t.”
Stephen, 58, who works in the mines and crafts metal sculptures in his spare time, has made timber benches, hanging pegs and lamps for the cottage.
Belinda and Stephen were both born and bred in Broken Hill, where they met and had their children, then they lived in Millthorpe for 20 years before moving down the road to Carcoar.
So, Belinda explains, the slow country lifestyle is in her blood.
After a busy day chatting to customers in her shop, “I like to just be at home, doing my own thing,” she says.
Tom and Molly still refer to Hargans Cottage as “their house”, Belinda laughs, but they now share it with a steady stream of guests eager to experience a taste of country life.
“Nobody was in here and I thought, you know what, how about I open it for beautiful guests to stay via my Instagram,” says Belinda. “I just love it… I bake my own sourdough, and a Moroccan spice cake [for guests] – I like to make it extra-special.”
An unofficial tourism ambassador for Carcoar, Belinda has played a key role in promoting the tiny town of around 270 people via her popular Instagram platform.
“It’s got a beautiful feel, it’s so peaceful,” she says of the quaint village.
“It’s surrounded by a valley, and because the Belubula River goes through the centre of town, it’s very picturesque. You hear the church bells ring on the hour every hour… it’s a beautiful little place.”
PhotographerAbbie Melle
WriterPenny Carroll
Penny has been writing about homes for 20 years and obsessing over them for a lifetime. As a journalist who's worked across entertainment, lifestyle, travel and health, Penny loves unearthing compelling stories and deep diving into fascinating topics. These days, when she's not chatting to people about their gorgeous houses, you'll find her editing fiction, writing short stories and spending as much downtime as she possibly can at the beach.
