How interior designer Lynda Gardener built a collection of bespoke accommodation

Much-loved Melbourne-based interior stylist, Lynda Gardener has a knack for creating effortlessly beautiful spaces. From styling showrooms for Levi Strauss to owning homewares store, Empire – one of the first beautifully styled collections of old and new.

Today, Gardener designs a range of spaces around Australia with Inside Story, while managing her personal collection of bespoke accommodations.

Whether it is the intimate space of an art deco St Kilda apartment or a rustic chic cottage along the foothills of Victoria’s Great Dividing Range, over the past 14 years, Gardener has transformed four properties into stylish getaways that intrigue at every turn. Thanks in part to the one-off vintage finds that fill the spaces.

“They’re all a home to go away too, filled with my heirlooms or things that I have collected over my travels. They’re each very homely, curated and considered in every detail,” says Gardener.

It all started with a beautiful 1850s cottage, The White House Daylesford, which is a self-contained three-bedroom house that reflects its country location. Next came the White Room, a one-bedroom studio in the heart of Fitzroy with french doors that open out to a private courtyard. Then back in the Victorian countryside, Gardener opened The Estate Trentham, a stunning Federation weatherboard home with a harvest garden and a barn, and the fourth property, The Apartment St Kilda, sits within an iconic art deco building.

“A familiar thread runs through them all, but at the same time they’re all different and unique to their surroundings,” says Gardener. “I’m a collector, so the properties will always have beautiful old pieces you can’t find anywhere else.”

Not one to follow trends, all of Gardener’s properties have a timeless feel to them, mixing up contemporary items with old finds – most of which she had sourced from her travels or at flea markets – which have always been her go-to, even when she styled her first showroom for Levi Strauss.

“It’s a mad collectors thing. Wherever I am, whether it’s here or interstate, I’m always seeking out the flea markets. They’re perfect for finding one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Gardener.

Closer to home, Gardener is a regular at HK Living in Armadale, and she swears by Nook Vintage in Fitzroy for good furniture and collections of old and new. And although Gardener gives a lot of attention to the items that fill her homes, she says the key to bespoke accommodation is creating comfortable and cosy spaces – every home needs to have beautiful linen and bedding, with lots of comfy cushions and couches.

“I style them as though I would live in them and they have to be aesthetically beautiful at every turn,” Gardener says. “Whether you’re styling your accommodation or your home, pick something to stand out – all places need a wow factor once you walk in the door, and don’t mix styles. Make sure from the moment you walk in the door to the back it’s consistent all the way through.”

Despite Gardener’s ever-expanding collection of beautiful homewares, once she has styled a home, she rarely changes the overall look and feel of the place.

“Every few months I will walk in with something new or change things around, recently I added an Armadillo rug to The Estate Trentham, so I changed some cushions and rotated a few things, but otherwise everything stays as is. My properties don’t date because I never follow what’s on trend,” says Gardener.

When asked which one was her favourite, Gardener hesitated, “If I had to choose, probably The Estate Trentham. It’s such a beautiful old weatherboard house. It’s small and quirky with a harvest garden, fruit trees and berries in summer. You really feel like you’re in the country.”

Gardener is currently working on her fifth property, Room and Board, a new build in Daylesford with an open barn feel and high rafters, all white with a lot of greenery. Perfect for a couple.

All four properties are available for exclusive use, be it for mid-week jaunts or weekend getaways. Visit the website for bookings.