Sarah Andrews thought she’d retired from client projects when approached by Ashley Faye and Conrad Zebrasky to design their first accommodation, Camp Nowhere.
The couple had just purchased an original fisherman’s shack in Breona, Tasmania that Sarah had also inspected when the property was up for sale.
‘I had looked at the cabin for myself. I knew it well. I had already fallen in love with it and planned many winters in the snow reading in front of the fireplace and watching the fog roll in over the Great Lake,’ says Sarah.
With two other projects already on her hands, Sarah left the property to be, until Ashley and Conrad got in touch.
‘I love Ash and Conrad. If anyone deserved an incredible space it was this pair of good souls,’ says Sarah.
‘I said, “Bring me what you are thinking, and then let me show you what I would do if it were mine. Let’s take it from there.” And now here we are.’
Ashley and Conrad purchased the property in a very rundown state. ‘It was a little fishing shack complete with ‘80s bedspreads, fake wood panelling and a huge rusty fireplace, but an awesome little lake view and private backyard area,’ says Ashley.
Their brief to Sarah was ‘murky’, but in the best way possible, providing her with creative freedom to explore her ideas.
‘We knew that she would bring a unique perspective. We were blown away with her first design, and slightly nervous, but we trusted her and ran with it!’ says Ashley.
In some ways, Camp Nowhere is the antithesis of Captain’s Rest: Sarah’s own converted fisherman’s shack that kickstarted a wave of Tasmanian boutique accommodation projects with a similar design aesthetic.
‘It’s hard to turn without seeing a space inspired by [it],’ says Sarah. ‘I wanted Ash and Conrad to let me celebrate Tasmania in other visual ways rather than white panelling, oil paintings, and window seats. There is so much to love and cherish about this island.’
Her design for Camp Nowhere captures the beauty of the Central Highlands area, combined with influences of Ashley’s upbringing in Canada.
Ashley explains, ‘[We] had a cottage growing up on the Great Lakes just outside of Toronto. I liked the synchronicity of having a place on the Great Lake in Tasmania.’
Camp Nowhere is a place for experiencing the yingina/Great Lake without the distractions of the outside world.
The property runs off-grid, has no Wi-Fi or television, and minimal phone reception. What it offers is a cosy place to read alone in front of the fire, gaze out at the bright stars, and retreat to a warm dark nook when it’s time to rest.
Sarah likens the interiors to an indoor tent — a mostly empty space where furniture can be moved around in and set up however the happy camper desires.
‘We added casters to all the furniture so the space can be arranged by whoever is using it to feel most comfortable,’ she says.
Ash and Conrad undertook the laborious construction work themselves with the input from other accommodation owners who have taken Sarah’s The Hosting Masterclass course.
‘I don’t want to make it seem like this was an easy project. Getting trades out to a remote part of Tasmania came with its own challenges (we had five electricians over the course of the reno), and this summer’s drought has seen us needing to buy in water to refill the water tank numerous times,’ says Ashley.
The huge windows and the shutter dividing the bath and living room were sourced from Sarah’s personal ‘window library’ that she’s collected over the years.
‘I still don’t quite believe I’ve grown up to be the sort of person who has a window library, but hey, it’s come in handy!’ Sarah says.
The colour palette is muted, as not to outshine the original Tasmanian shacks and structures of the area.
Sarah feels both proud and fulfilled to have created a project among the lakes and highlands of Tasmania — a place that’s always had her heart.
‘It is a harsh, cold, and quiet place ripe for the dreamer and the escapist — hence my lifelong obsession with it,’ she says.
Camp Nowhere is a place for taking it all in.
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